The long term prospects for a person with diabetes are not set in stone. In many cases, they are a matter of choice. There are many possible complications that come with diabetes. Those taking insulin can experience a low glucose level. Hypoglycemia can lead to several ill effects. In extreme cases, coma is possible. At [...]

Diabetes can present two main categories of problems, in the form of short term ill-effects and longer term harm. Minimizing both areas requires discipline. Rapid spikes or dips in blood glucose level can result in several unpleasant effects: dizziness, disorientation, muscle weakness, nausea and others. For some diabetics, it’s very difficult to prevent this from [...]

Diabetes, a disease characterized by chronic high levels of glucose in the blood, is not the major problem it once was. Prior to the end of the 19th century, it might well have been a death sentence for many. Excess glucose can have a number of ill effects, including poor cut healing or kidney damage, [...]

The symptoms of diabetes can be puzzling. Even the common ones may not be present in all cases. They may come and go. And the same symptoms can be produced by other conditions. Nevertheless, there are a cluster of common circumstances that tend to mark out the disease. Unusually frequent urination is one of the [...]

Coping with diabetes typically involves a combination of physical treatments and psychological adjustments. Over time, diabetes can affect the kidney, eyes and other vital organs and systems. The kidneys may filter less efficiently. Eyesight may become less sharp. But all those physical circumstances can be managed through careful diet, exercise, and (if needed) drugs. But [...]

There are multiple aspects to the relationship between diet and diabetes. On the one hand, anyone with diabetes will need to take extra care with diet in order to help maintain the proper glucose level. On the other, those who don’t have diabetes – but have a genetic and/or environmental or lifestyle disposition to develop [...]

Why any particular person gets diabetes isn’t completely known. Complicating the situation is the fact that there are different types of the disease, though Type 1 and Type 2 are the most common. Of those, Type 2 accounts for about 90% of cases. Fortunately for those who are at risk, many factors are lifestyle choices [...]

Having diabetes is never a picnic. But fortunately, for a very large percentage of those who suffer from the disease, exercise can play a large role in the management of the condition. Not only does it improve overall health, helping to stave off future complications and deal with dips in well-being, it directly improves the [...]

The causes of diabetes are complex and only partly understood. Complicating the picture even further is the fact that there are multiple types, each with its own risk factors. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are the most common, encompassing about 97% or more of cases in the U.S. Each results from a combination of [...]

Tracking the level of glucose in the blood is vital for proper diabetes management. Fortunately, the devices available to do that today are easy to use and provide many features. One of the earliest self-test systems was developed in the mid-1970s. Then as now they used a sample of blood that is chemically analyzed by [...]