Taking a closer look at diabetes
You can’t get it by eating sugar.
“Probably the biggest myth is that it [diabetes] is caused by the intake of sugar, but that is a pretty big myth,” Cynthia White, a certified diabetic educator with the Budge Clinic, said.
Diabetes is a disease which the Center for Disease Control has said is growing at epidemic proportions.
Vickie Tilley, a certified diabetes educator at Logan Regional Hospital said more than 15 million Americans, approximately 6 percent, have the disease.
“We are diagnosing more and more people with diabetes,” she said.
But what causes diabetes?
“We don’t really know what causes diabetes. There are certain things that put people at a higher risk, but we don’t know the causes,” Tilley said. “We have a lot more overweight people. We have a much more sedentary life.”
These things are only some factors that lead to diabetes. Many of the cases may be genetic.
White said, “If you have a strong family history, you should be tested – that is the bottom line.”
She said the most common symptoms individuals can encounter include frequent urination, numbness in their hands and feet, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, frequent infections, cuts that are slow to heal, tiredness and extreme hunger.
There is often increased thirst as well.
“People describe it as an unquenchable thirst,” White said.
For those who believe they may be diabetic, White suggests they see their doctors and explain why they want to be tested.
“It is very simple to diagnose,” she said.
Normally, a fasting blood test should be taken. Tilley said a blood sugar level above 126 normally indicates a patient has diabetes. A normal level should be below 110.
Once a person is diagnosed with the disease, Tilley said it is the goal of doctors and educators to help keep the blood sugar levels between 80 and 120. This can be accomplished by education and treatment.
“The best thing that can happen is the doctor should send them to see a registered diabetic educator and a dietitian,” she said.
Proper diet is only part of the treatment.
“Exercise is very crucial,” Tilley said. “Exercise makes it easier to manage diabetes.”
The reason exercise is so vital is the way it helps the body manage sugars. Tilley said in exercise, the body’s cells are able to use the glucose in the blood.
White said the two types of diabetes share similarities, but must be discussed separately.
Type 1 Diabetes
Tilley said, “About 5 to 10 percent of people with diabetes have Type 1.”
Cache Valley is basically on average with the rest of the nation, she said.
In order for the body to use glucose, the pancreas must produce insulin. White said for individuals who have Type 1, their body stops producing insulin. In order to correct this, insulin must be replaced.
“It is very difficult to mimic the pancreas,” she said. “We have to do it by hand.”
In order to balance the levels of blood sugar, insulin injections are required. Many patients still choose to use the traditional needle injections.
“A lot of people are ‘needle-phobic’,” White said. “But you must do it to live.”
Other options are being developed, but may take several years to become available on the market. White said these new products may include a nasal spray that would make taking insulin easier.
“There are a lot more tools to manage diabetes,” Tilley said.
Another alternative to the needle injections is the insulin pump. She said the pump injects a continuous stream of insulin into the body. The pump is the size of a pager and the catheter through which the insulin is delivered is placed into the skin by the patient and moved every five days.
“Twenty years ago, patients never tested their own blood sugar at home and would give themselves one or two shots, but not today. We now realize that won’t prevent the long-term effects,” Tilley said.
This type of diabetes normally develops early in life, she said. The causes are harder to trace than Type 2.
Tilley said there is some correlation to genetics, but many doctors feel the cause may be more linked to infections that attack and weaken the body allowing the disease to set in.
The long-term effects can include heart disease and nerve damage.
White said women who have diabetes are four times as likely to have heart problems, while men are at double the risk as those who do not have diabetes.
With nerve damage, if the blood sugar levels are not kept in check, irreversible damage will result.
“You can’t re-grow a nerve. Once it’s dead, it’s gone. Some things you can’t go back on,” White said.
By maintaining a normal level, the risks of long-term risk can decrease up to 70 percent, White said.
Other effects include eye disease, kidney disease, sexual disjunction, gum disease and digestive problems. These can be found in both types of diabetes.
TYPE 2 Diabetes
“Type 2 is the most common and develops later in life, though more young people are getting it,” Tilley said.
Unlike Type 1, the pancreas still produces insulin, but the body’s cells do not recognize it and prevents the glucose from moving into the cells, she said.
Type 2 is often manageable with exercise and diet. Tilley said others may need to take oral medications to help their body recognize the insulin.
White said Type 2 often goes undetected for up to 10 years which can cause some problems.
“People need to pay attention to their symptoms,” White said. “We were designed to run on a certain blood sugar level, too high or too low is not good.”
Type 2 can also lead to more serious problems in later life if not treated correctly.
“Diabetes is a progressive disease,” she said.
If individuals do not take care of themselves, insulin may be required to keep the body in balance.
Those who have diabetes need to be aware of taking care of themselves, White said. Many of the students at Utah State University who have the disease may not keep their blood sugar in balance.
“Elevated blood sugar levels are toxic over time,” she said.
Tilley said with lifestyle changes and careful watch, the disease can be managed. Individuals who are diagnosed should work with their doctor and others who are available to help understand the disease.
“It’s a change. It is manageable, but it takes work. It’s not something that happens over night,” Tilley said.