b) Symptoms associated with low blood sugar levels
* trembling
* sweating
* pallor
* fatigue
* headache
* loss of concentration
This list of symptoms is very similar to the ones that may occur when you suffer from a condition called hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). In both cases, these symptoms are caused by blood sugar levels that are too low, and treatment aims to raise the blood sugar to normal levels again.
Treatment of diabetes
As mentioned above, insulin-dependent diabetics need to inject themselves with insulin every day to provide the body with the insulin that is lacking. Insulin therapy has to be combined with a special diet and controlled amounts of exercise.Non-insulin-dependent diabetics take oral medications, together with a special diet and controlled exercise.
Overweight is a complicating factor that needs to be treated, says dietician, Dr Ingrid van Heerden. If a diabetic is overweight then he or she must try and lose weight by following the instructions of a clinical dietitian and doing a certain amount of exercise. The idea is NOT to starve yourself or exercise to exhaustion, as such drastic approaches to weight loss can endanger your health.
Basic dietary guidelines for diabetics
The basic principles of the diabetic diet are as follows:* eat a balanced diet
* try and achieve your ideal body weight
* avoid large quantities of sugar and highly processed carbohydrates (cakes, pies, pastries, white rice)
* eat plenty of dietary fibre (brown rice, wholewheat bread, oats, unsifted maize meal, fresh, unpeeled, raw fruits and vegetable, and legumes, such as cooked, dry beans, peas and lentils and meat substitutes made from legumes like soya)
* cut down on fat intake (eat less butter, margarine, oil and mayonnaise, use nonstick pans and nonstick spray for cooking, avoid all fatty food)
* eat less salt (use less salt in cooking, replace salt with other herbs and spices, cut out commercial soups and gravies which have a very high salt content, use a salt substitute)
However, you must keep in mind that the details of the diabetic diet that you are going to use have to be worked out by a clinical dietitian who will take into consideration:
* your age and sex, (young people and men usually need to take in more energy)
* level of activity (people who are physically active have increased energy requirements)
* the type of diabetes you have (type I or type II)
* the type of medication you are taking (insulin injections or oral medication)
* body weight (over- or underweight)
* other complicating factors (kidney disease, hypertension)
* the stresses you are exposed to (both physical and psychological)
* growth phases (childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, lactation)
* short-term complications (infections, taking part in athletic events, writing exams, etc)
With the correct medication, diet, and exercise, all diabetics should be able to live perfectly normal and happy lives.
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.health24.com)
