WAYS TO COPE WITH DIABETES

Often, most diabetic sufferers would rather take medicines than managing the sickness. In the case of Type 2 Diabetes, for example, they would rather take insulin shot in a frequent manner to help their blood glucose levels stay in their target range, even if it does not lower their blood glucose levels enough. For people with diabetes, such infection as well as underlying health condition, or even other forms of stress will further contribute to the rise of their blood glucose levels. This is because part of their body’s defense mechanism for fighting the illness and infection puts more glucose into the bloodstream and prevents insulin working properly. Therefore, knowing how to cope with the illness in the first place will help mitigate the greater risks of suffering from its complications.

1. CONTROLLING TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2 DIABETES

One of the aims of diabetes management is achieving control of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat levels. Good control is very crucial in helping to avoid developing the long-term complications of diabetes. To help control blood glucose levels in the case of Type 1 Diabetes, it is necessary to take insulin which can be administered in different ways, including via a pen, syringe or pump. As for the Type 2 Diabetes, it is a progressive condition and over time, it may be that following a healthy eating plan and being physically active is not sufficient to help control the blood glucose levels. Because of this, if you are someone who has been suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and this situation happens to you; your healthcare expert may advise you to start taking diabetes medication, or even increase and/or alter your dosage if you are already on medication. Bottom line, some people with Type 2 Diabetes in many cases, will need to take insulin very frequently to help control their blood glucose levels.

The table below here is a guide to the blood pressure and blood fat targets which you may refer to, yet, you still need to seek advice from your healthcare expert regarding your individual target levels.

2. MEDICATION

From medical standpoint, blood glucose levels rise when a person is off their food or eating less than usual. Diet and lifestyle changes may not be enough to achieve those blood pressure and blood fat targets hence medication may be required. People with Type 1 Diabetes, for instance, they may need to test blood or urine for ketones if blood glucose levels are 15mmol/l or more. Likewise, they may need to continue taking insulin shot or diabetes medication and adjust the dose accordingly in response to their test results. They may need to take carbohydrate containing drinks such as milk and other milky drinks, fruit juice or sugary drinks such as ordinary cola or lemonade if they are being sick. Also, they may need to eat little and have plenty of sugar-free drinks in case if they have no appetite. Overall, managing diabetes can at times appear to be incredibly demanding and some people who find the kind of support and encouragement from their social circles can be really beneficial in helping them cope with the disease.

Read More

TYPES OF PREEMPTIVE MEASURES FOR KIDNEY STONES

Obviously, part of preventing stones is to find out why or how you suffer from them. Understanding your medical, family and dietary history helps your health care provider find out how likely you are to form more stones in your kidney organ. This is because once your health care provider finds out why you are forming stones, he or she will give you tips on how to prevent them and they may include changing your diet and taking certain medications.

 

1. DRINK ENOUGH FLUIDS EVERYDAY

In case if you are not making enough urine, your health care provider may suggest you drink at least 3 liters of liquid in a day. This is a great way to lower your risk of forming new stones. Knowing how much you drink during the day can help you have a grasp of how much you need to drink to produce 2.5 liters of urine. Therefore, you should try to drink more to replace fluids lost when you sweat from exercise or in hot weather. Although all kinds of fluids count toward your fluid intake, however, it is best to drink mostly low-calorie drinks and this may also mean limiting sugar-sweetened or alcoholic drinks.

 

2. REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SALT IN YOUR DIET

Most frozen foods and meats including salty cured meats, deli meats (cold cuts), hot dogs, bratwurst and sausages are high in salt and should be eaten moderately. Besides, all types of cheese, breads, salty snacks such as chips, pickles and olives, canned and bottled sauces, rolls and pretzels also fall into that category. This is the tips for people with high sodium intake and high urine calcium or cysteine. Owing to the fact that sodium can cause both urine calcium and cysteine to be too high, your health care provider may advise you to avoid foods that have a lot of salt. After all, some medical experts suggest that people with high level of sodium consumption should not eat more than 2,300 mg of salt per day.

 

3. EAT FOODS WITH LOW OXALATE LEVELS

This may be a good choice for patients with high urine oxalate. Eating calcium-rich foods with meals can often control the oxalate level in your urine. Urinary oxalate can be controlled by eating calcium. However, if doing that and it does not control your urine oxalate, you may be advised to eat certain foods which have less high-oxalate. Actually, nearly all plant foods have oxalate, yet, only a few of them contain a lot of oxalate. These foods include spinach, rhubarb and almonds. Perhaps, it is not necessary to entirely quit eating foods which contain oxalate since it all depends on why your oxalate levels are high in the first place.

 

4. PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS

Changing your dietary pattern and increasing your amount of fluids intake may not be enough to prevent stones from forming. In fact, your health care provider may give you certain types of prescribed medications to take to help you with this. And of course, the type of stones and urine tests will help your health care provider decide if you need medications and which one is considered the best. In any case, some medications your health care provider may suggest are as follows:

- Thiazide diuretics. These are for the patients who have calcium stones and high levels of calcium in their urine. Thiazides lower urine calcium by helping the kidney take calcium out of the urine and put it back in the blood stream. When taking thiazides, you need to limit how much salt you eat, as these medications work best when urine sodium is low.

- Potassium citrate. This is for the patients with calcium stones and low urinary citrate, including for those with uric acid and cysteine stones. Potassium citrate makes the urine less acidic or more alkaline (basic). As it helps prevent cysteine and uric acid stones, this particular medicine also raises the citrate level in the urine; helping to prevent calcium stones.

- Acetohydroxamic acid (AHA). This is for the patients who produce infection stones. These stones form because of repeated urinary tract infections (UTI). AHA makes the urine hard for infection stones to form hence the best way to prevent them is to deter repeated UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) caused by specific types of bacteria, and completely remove the stones with surgery if necessary.

Read More

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR ACID REFLUX (STOMACH ACID)

Most of the prescribed medications used to treat acid reflux (stomach acid) have gone through rigorous testing and studies to establish safe and effective use. While these medications can practically help alleviate the sickness, however, a person can also try some traditional remedies to treat or lessen the symptoms of acid reflux (stomach acid).

 

1. ACUPUNTURE

This is a type of traditional Chinese medicine that has been around for thousands of years. It uses small needles to stimulate healing. There was an older study showed that acupuncture had positive effects on decreasing stomach acid which can help reduce acid reflux symptoms. Electro Acupuncture (EA) is another form of acupuncture which uses electrical current along with the needles. Although research remains limited in this area, however, one study found that using needleless EA was associated with reduced acid reflux symptoms. Bottom line, the result of electro acupuncture and a proton pump inhibitor (a type of medication) according to the findings of one study above showed a significant improvement on the patients’ conditions.

2. GINGER

Some previous studies suggested that ginger may help with nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms. Although research also remains limited in this area and more studies are necessary to confirm these benefits, however, some researchers based on the existing evidence suggest that a daily dose of 1,500 milligrams despite it is possible that a higher intake could have adverse effects.

3. HERBAL TEA

Some drinks including coffee and alcohol may increase the symptoms of acid reflux. Herbalists may recommend different types of herbal teas to help improve digestion and ease symptoms such as dizziness or nausea. That being said, some of the popular herbal teas which can help with the treatment of acid reflux (stomach acid) are:

- Chamomile tea.

- Licorice tea.

- Green tea.

- Fennel tea.

- Fruit teas.

After all, it is best to avoid mint teas as they may trigger the illness.

4. BAKING SODA

Baking soda is an antacid and acts as an acid neutralizer. Some people are take baking soda to temporarily neutralize their stomach acid, providing relief from acid reflux symptoms. In case if you want to try this at home, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon in a 4-ounce glass of water. However, it is important to be aware of the fact that baking soda can also cause unpleasant side effects such as gas, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea.

Read More

SELF-REMEDIES FOR ALLEVIATING THE SICKNESS OF ACID REFLUX (STOMACH ACID) AT HOME

Often, many people fail to distinguish acid reflux (stomach acid) with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD). Although they fall into the category of indigestion issue, however, there is a slight difference between the two said sicknesses. Acid reflux (stomach acid) is when acid from your stomach backs up into your esophagus (throat), while Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) is a more serious form of acid reflux and happens in a long term (chronic) which can cause damage to the body over time.

To begin with, when you consume something whether you eat or drink, it goes down through the esophagus (throat) to your stomach where digestion starts. This process, medically speaking, happens when acids being released to break down what you eat or drink. However, when the amount of food or drink that have been mixed with this acid travels back to your esophagus (throat), it is called "Acid Reflux" (stomach acid). Perhaps, it may feel like mild burning in your mid-chest area (heartburn). Still, there are other symptoms of acid reflux which include burping, a sour taste in your mouth, and a sore throat.

Furthermore, acid reflux is a common condition which causes acid from the stomach to flow up through the esophagus (throat) and can result in a burning sensation behind the chest bone (heartburn). When the opening from your esophagus (throat) to your stomach is strong, it stays closed after food passes through. When it is closed, it keeps the stomach acid from backing up through it. In the case of Acid Reflux, it can happen if the opening from your stomach to your esophagus (throat) is weak; causing it to open. When it is open, it lets your stomach acid passing through hence the condition is called acid reflux.

Actually, changing what and how you eat can sometimes help lower your symptoms of acid reflux. Lifestyle changes can help you too in mitigating the amount of acids in your digestive system. If you have acid reflux (stomach acid), you might be wondering what could be the types of self-remedies you can try to relieve your discomfort quickly at home.

 

I. AVOID EATING CERTAIN FOODS

People with acid reflux were once instructed to eliminate all but the blandest foods from their diets. Well, that is no longer the case since we have evolved from the days when we could not eat anything. If a certain food or action does not cause you the symptoms, there is no need for you to avoid it. However, if it triggers or causes you to have acid reflux (stomach acid), then you really should avoid it. Whatever it is, below here is the list of foods or drinks that you should limit or avoid if they tend to cause you suffering from the disease.

1. Carbonated beverages.

2. Spicy food.

3. Coffee/Tea.

4. Alcohol.

5. Onions/Garlic/Tomatoes.

6. Chocolate.

7. Fatty food.

8. Mint.

 

II. STAY UP AFTER EATING

When you are standing or sitting, gravity alone helps to keep acid in the stomach where it belongs. Finish eating three hours before you go to bed. Needless to say, no naps right after you finish with your lunch, and no late suppers or midnight snacks.

 

III. SLEEP ON AN INCLINED POSITION

Ideally, your head should be six to eight inches higher than your feet. You can achieve this by using extra-tall bed risers on the legs supporting the head of your bed. When you are sleeping or resting, keep your head higher than your stomach. You can do this by propping your upper body up with pillows to keep your head and upper your body higher, or raising the head of your bed 15–20 cm by using foam wedges (see the image below).

IV. LOSE SOME WEIGHT IF NECESSARY

Extra body weight can make the symptoms of acid reflux worse. If able or necessary, reducing your body weight may help lower the pressure on the opening of your stomach.

 

V. QUIT SMOKING

If you smoke, then quit immediately. Nicotine may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, yet, it will trigger the symptoms of acid reflux. Instead of relishing yourself with cigars, go and buy some sugar-free chewing gums (not the peppermint type), which can help reduce the amount of your acid levels in your esophagus (throat) and stomach by increasing saliva production.

Read More

LIST OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR OCD PATIENTS (CHAPTER 6)

1. Vitamin D

Vitamin D has important functions in immunity, inflammatory response and antioxidant processes. It is also essential for normal brain development and functioning, as it plays several key roles in the nervous system processes such as neurotransmission, neuroprotection, proliferation and differentiation. For example, some previous studies have demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous neuropsychiatric diseases which include autism, major depressive disorder (clinical depression), schizophrenia and OCD. There are several possible relationships between vitamin D and OCD pathophysiology, in which of these is the association between the active form of vitamin D3 (1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3), and tryptophan hydroxylase. While tyrosine hydroxylase is the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine synthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase is the rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin synthesis where the levels of these two enzymes are regulated by 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D. Hence, it can be concluded that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to OCD aetiology by affecting the pathway of serotonin and catecholamines synthesis.

Finally, there is also another relationship between vitamin D and OCD has to do with the neuroprotective effect of vitamin D. In some studies, for instance, the role of free radicals or an increased level of nitric oxide in particular is manifested in OCD. Vitamin D has antioxidant effects and possesses an ability to deter an essential enzyme (inducible nitric oxide synthase) for nitric oxide synthesis. With that being, vitamin D deficiency may play a role in OCD by causing the deterioration of neuroprotection.

2. Herbal Treatments

Certain herbs may have some benefit in reducing symptoms of OCD. Unfortunately, the consequent degree of their effectiveness has not yet been tested. As with all types of medications, herbal treatments can have unwanted side-effects and may interact with prescription or over-the-counter medications and other botanicals. For this reason, people who wish to explore alternative treatments should consult with a knowledgeable doctor prior to the above treatments.

The sedating effects of some herbal medicines, in addition, are believed to reduce symptoms of anxiety. These plants include German chamomile, hops, kava, lemon balm, passion flower, skullcap, valerian and gota cola. Unlike the other herbs such as Ginkgo biloba and evening primrose oil which have been suggested as an alternative treatment of OCD with little evidence for their effectiveness, the compounds in these traditional German herbs are known to act on systems in the brain in a similar way to the benzodiazepine class of medications. Regardless of the fact that these plants appear to be safe, however, they should be consumed with caution too since they can potentially elevate the sedating effects of other medications, as well as alcohol.

Read More