If You're Always Tired - Have Yourself Tested For Diabetes

By Author: Alice Saracho
Total Articles: 8
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Diabetes is one of the most common diseases today, wrecking the lives of countless individuals every year. But unlike in years past, today there are drugs and treatments available to treat the disease so that a diabetic can live a pretty much normal life.

Diabetes is often triggered by an insulin deficiency. With such a deficiency, your body is no longer able to store or use glucose. If the body can use it, the only recourse is to hold it in the bloodstream until it can eliminate it. Generally, the kidneys can easily handle excess glucose in the bloodstream by simply filtering it out. But, when the glucose level reaches 180 mg/dl or higher, a tipping point is reached and the kidneys become overloaded and can no longer perform their filtering function. The extra glucose, having nowhere else to go, enters the bloodstream. It's at this point that diabetes complications usually start to occur.

Generally, because of the excess glucose in their bloodstream, diabetics experiences some common symptoms. One of the more prevalent ones is that they become extremely thirsty and as a result have to urinate a lot. One of the ...
... side effects of excess blood glucose it to cause water to be extracted from the blood. The water is then excreted from the body in the form of urine. The loss of water from the blood leads to dehydration and feelings of thirst. Too frequent urination can be a problem because along with the excess glucose, the urine is also carrying out sodium and potassium, important nutrients for the body.

Diabetics often feel "run down" and tired and don't understand exactly why. But because of the effect that glucose intolerance has on the body, it's not that surprising. In just about everyone, the foods that they consume is converted to a glucose. The insulin in their body then converts the glucose into a fuel source (glycogen) that can be used to power the body. A person with diabetes, however, because they have insulin problems, the glucose in their body can't be converted to energy. In other words, they have no power - no energy. It's like putting gasoline into a car where the carburetor or fuel-injector is not working. The car has plenty of fuel, but is unable to convert it into useable form.

One of the symptoms of diabetes for women is an increase in vaginal infections. The reason is that the deficiency in insulin cause glucose level to rise in the blood, including vaginal secretions. Fungi and bacteria love high glucose areas of the body, it's an excellent food source for them, making it the perfect environment for them to grow.

One of the most devastating facts about this disease is that out of all the people that have it in this country, 50% of them are totally unaware of it. If it's not treated, it can lead to serious difficulties such as glaucoma, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, and more. Of course, if someone is unaware that they have it, they can't begin treatment. To be tested for diabetes is no longer a big deal. In fact, many doctors include it as part of a normal yearly physical exam. Ignoring a disease that is so easily treated is a mistake that no one should make.
Alice Saracho is webmaster and writer of http://www.diabetescausestreatments.com. Visit her site and read her articles on diabetic testing supplies as well as other diabetes related information and products.