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A silent and deceptive modern-day killer, diabetes is also one of the most widespread chronic diseases, which claims millions of victims every year. However, the most dangerous facet of diabetes, which is responsible for a majority of diabetes-related deaths, is the skewed awareness that has spread amongst much of the global populace, which often results in them regarding and even treating this disease with a stilted perspective. And hence, educating yourself about the basics of diabetes and what you can do to protect yourself from its onslaught, may often be the fine dividing line between deeming yourself a victim, and proclaiming yourself a victor over this disease. The popular notion that diabetes is solely guided by extremely low levels of blood sugar is one of the most common misrepresentations of diabetes, which in turn leads to a majority of individuals disregarding low glucose levels as just another minor impediment. However, just as tremendously high glucose levels can wreak havoc on your health and wellbeing, dropping down too low on the glucose scales has its own set of afflictions, leading to a condition termed as hypoglycemia. This condition is characterized by feelings of extreme weakness, nausea and can even lead to a diabetes-induced coma. And so, in order to keep your disease from getting the better of you, what you need to pay attention to is keeping your blood glucose at an almost constant level, which is well within the prescribed boundaries of the blood glucose spectrum. Your pancreas plays a vital role in the conversion of glucose into energy for your body to feed on. This it does by secreting a hormone called insulin which stimulates the cells of your body whenever it detects any glucose in your blood, which your body can use, thus bringing down the levels of blood glucose instantly. This keeps your body from damage caused by excessively high levels of glucose and thus developing any further complications. The surplus energy in your body is directed to your liver, where it is stored as glycogen. In the event that the glucose levels drop dangerously low, the pancreas works to correct this anomaly by secreting another hormone called glucagon. This hormone activates the liver, prompting it to convert the glycogen back to glucose which is then released into your blood. This action of glucagon helps to even out the imbalance in your blood glucose, thus bringing it back within the appropriate range. Insulin-dependant victims of diabetes are also prone to severe bouts of hypoglycemia, given the deficit of glucagon in their bodies. And so, while the threat of over-sweet blood, or hyperglycemia, is a lot more severe in these cases, so is the risk of developing hypoglycemic symptoms. For individuals who suffer from diabetes, insulin is often a mandatory part of their diabetes management program. Glucagon, on the other hand, can be administered only in cases when the body displays symptoms of hypoglycemia, in the occurrence of which, glucagon can induce the release of blood glucose in as little as 5 minutes. This glucagon is administered through Glucagon Emergency Kits which are comprised of a syringe which has an inert solution, which is then injected into a vial of glucose crystals. Once the glucose has dissolved, the solution is injected back into the syringe. The glucose and inert solution mixture is then injected into the victim's body - either directly into the muscle tissue, or immediately under the skin. When administering glucagon, always pay attention to the fact that this hormone may induce vomiting in certain individuals, and so always have someone turn you over to your side when you are being injected. This will keep you at bay from choking on your own vomit in case your body reacts unexpectedly. The amount of glucagon that is needed to stabilize your blood glucose will vary depending upon how severe the hypoglycemic condition is, as well as the rate at which your body reacts to glucagon. Thus, while one dose may suffice for a majority of individuals, in certain others repeated doses may be needed for the glucagon to take effect. Glucagon is one of the most effective ways to give your blood glucose levels the much-needed boost when they tend to nosedive, but cannot be viewed as a complete solution in itself. To ensure that you do not regress back into a hypoglycemic condition once the effect of glucagon has worn out, always back up your treatment with a carbohydrate-rich meal or snack. Also ensure that you stick to your recommended diet and exercise regime, to avoid further episodes of hypoglycemia and reserve this alternative only for dire and unexpected cases. Taking care of your diabetes can be as simple as making a few, effortless changes to your lifestyle and constantly updating your information to make sure you know exactly what you need to do to arrest any complication at its nascent phase. This alone will largely determine whether it is you who is in charge of your diabetes, or whether you are letting this disease tear away at your physical and mental wellbeing.
Article Source: http://www.writedot.com
Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.
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