rules non-diabetics partner should follow

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rules non-diabetics partner should follow
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rules non-diabetics partner should follow in relationship to those who are Diabetic:Here are some some scary statistics for #Poorly controlled Diabetes:

-28.5 percent of diabetics over forty years old have diabetic retinopathy.

-13 percent of patients have diabetic macular edema.

-33.4 percent of diabetics have nephropathy.

-60–70 percent of diabetics have neuropathy

Well-controlled diabetes should never cause complications. The complications of uncontrolled diabetes are fundamentally due to the elevated glucose levels in the person’s body. No diabetic person ever has to have any complications if their glucose numbers are normal enough that they are not initiating damage to body cells.

There are two types of diabetic complications: macrovascular and microvascular. Macrovascular complications relate to the blood vessels and are associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and cerebral vascular accident (stroke). Microvascular complications are associated with smaller blood vessels and affect the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

Why do diabetic complications occur? Why do they occur in the cells of blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves?

Most cells in the body—adipose, liver, muscle cells—can become insulin resistant, so when the glucose level in serum is elevated, the cells can block the uptake of glucose Often in T2DM or Type 1 diabetes patients with elevated glucose levels; above 8.4 or 9.4 mmol/L those adipose, liver, and muscle cells become insulin resistant when they are full of fat and do not want to absorb glucose and form even more fat. However, there are four types of cells in the human body that do not become insulin resistant: blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerve cells. These cells are so vital for life, they are made to absorb glucose easily and without resistance. Thus, whatever the glucose in the serum, those cells absorb that much glucose into them. If your glucose level is 13.3 mmol/l, that’s what is in those cells. Those high levels of glucose inside the cells wreak havoc. Moreover, if glucose levels are elevated for extensive periods of time, those four types of cells are damaged the most, and that is why cardiovascular disease, diabetic retinopathy (eyes), nephropathy (kidneys), and neuropathy (nerves) are the main complications of people with uncontrolled diabetes.

Biochemically, there are several ways in which having high levels of serum blood sugar and insulin cause imbalances in a person with diabetes therefore leading to complications. High blood glucose significantly increases reactive oxygen species (ROS), also known as free radicals. ROS are chemically reactive molecules that contain oxygen, such as superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, peroxynitrite radicals, and lipid peroxidation. ROS production is a normal part of metabolism, but when the body is under stress, for example from high glucose in uncontrolled diabetes, the formation of ROS can increase significantly, and this is called oxidative stress.

The amount of oxidative damage occurring in a diabetic who is uncontrolled is excessive and life-threatening over time. When the ROS are very high, that notably reduces the amount of antioxidants in the cells, such as glutathione and catalase, and so the body math is pretty simple: high oxidative products plus low antioxidants equals cellular damage. Elevated high blood glucose also causes a pro-inflammatory state via the production of chemicals that promote inflammation. That leads to other troublesome concerns, such as increased risk of blood clots, liver inflammation, deterioration of pancreatic beta cells, and increased risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

1.DON’T offer unsolicited advice about my eating or other aspects of diabetes. (It is not nice to give advice when it is not asked for, and some of your views on diabetes may not be scientifically accurate.)

2.DO realize and appreciate that diabetes is hard work. (Diabetes is a full-time job that I did not want and cannot quit—I have to constantly think about what, when, and how I eat, where my glucose is, how exercise, medication, or stress may affect me and my glucose, and this is a 24-7 responsibility.)

3.DON’T tell me horror stories about your grandmother or other people with diabetes you have heard about. (Stories like this are obviously neither helpful nor reassuring, and my focus is to live a long, healthy life with my diabetes under good control.)

4.DO offer to join me in making healthy lifestyle changes. (It is great to feel I am supported and not alone in managing this condition.)

5.DON’T look so horrified when I check my blood sugars or give myself an injection. (I do not particularly like doing these things, either, but I must be in good control. Making me feel bad or ashamed makes managing my diabetes much more difficult.)

6.DO ask how you might be helpful. (I appreciate you asking me how to help and letting me guide you in ways that are most beneficial to me.)

7.DON’T offer thoughtless reassurances. (It is not helpful to tell me it could have been cancer, instead, which infers diabetes is no big deal. It is a big deal.)

8.DO be supportive of my efforts for self-care. (I welcome working with you to set up an environment of success regarding my diet, exercise, and other aspects of this complicated condition. Moreover, most of all, do not tell me “one cookie” would be okay; keep me away from temptations that I need to avoid.)

9.DON’T peek at or comment on my blood glucose numbers without asking me first. (My lab results and glucose checks are private; if I want to share them, I will. Moreover, if you do see them, unsolicited opinions about them can greatly upset me.)

10.DO offer your love and encouragement. (Knowing that you care is the most important part of my having diabetes. Just being there for me, supporting me, and motivating me will make my journey easier and more fun).

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