Diabetes Options

Diabetes has no shortage of symptoms and negative effects, but the treatments available for this illness often focus more on maintenance than improvement.

Without proper management, diabetes is a disease that only gets worse. And, with one out of every three children estimated to be at risk of developing it during their lifetime, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

A metabolic disorder, diabetes leads to raised sugar levels (or glucose) in the blood, which can become more serious over time unless addressed. In fact, if a person doesn’t follow the right steps, diabetes can actually damage smaller blood vessels, and it can lead to negative impacts on every major system in the body.

Although people with diabetes deal with a whole host of lifestyle-damaging symptoms and side effects, the treatment options available to them seldom actually solve their problems. Managing the impact of diabetes is critical, but for a person to truly improve from a health and physical well-being standpoint, it should only be the beginning. Unfortunately, many people with diabetes are unaware that there are better alternatives out there.

The Symptoms and Complications Associated with Diabetes

Many of the symptoms of diabetes, even the less serious examples, can have a very harmful effect on a person’s overall well-being. Everything from incessant infections of the skin and urinary tract, to extreme hunger and thirst, can put a strain on every single aspect of your life. Blurred vision and fatigue can make even simple tasks a struggle, and fits of nausea and vomiting are a particularly debilitating symptom of type 1 diabetes.

In addition to these frustrating issues, people with diabetes also face many potentially serious complications. Some of them can begin developing even before diagnosis. These long-term health problems, which tend to be more commonly found in patients with poor control over their blood sugar levels, include:

• Dental disease, including severe gum ailments that result in a loss of attachment between the gums and teeth
• Obstructive sleep apnea, which impacts breathing while asleep, has a link to diabetes (although more common in overweight patients)
• Cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of early death among diabetics
• Kidney disease, which can lead to dialysis or the need for a kidney transplant
• Blindness — Diabetes is responsible for more than ten percent of new cases of blindness every year in the United States

The Impact Diabetes Can Have on a Person’s Lifestyle

Diabetes is a demanding illness capable of spilling over into every part of a patient’s life. There is no shortage of stress involved, which only grows worse when your sugar readings aren’t what they’re supposed to be. The fear of complications also looms, and dealing with new symptoms as they arise can take a great deal out of a person. Many of these symptoms contribute to a decline in quality of life, and some of them serve to make even simple tasks immeasurably difficult.

Frequent urination, particularly at night, can pair with obstructive sleep apnea to make it incredibly difficult for a diabetic person to get the proper amount of rest before the onset of the next day. Lack of sleep is an issue that has a harmful effect on everything else in a person’s life, which is the last thing a person with diabetes should have to deal with on top of everything else.

The endless demands of coping with diabetes can take a serious toll over time. Between scheduling activities based on blood sugar, monitoring glucose levels, dealing with dips or spikes in insulin and the fear of complications, the big picture can become nothing short of overwhelming. It’s unsurprising, then, that depression is a fairly common symptom among individuals with diabetes. Worse, depression serves to make managing other symptoms even harder due to the negative feelings associated with it.

Treatments Typically Used for Diabetes

Because patients suffering from type 1 diabetes have defects that hinder the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin, insulin treatment is mandatory for them. The vast majority of people with diabetes have type 2, however, which may not have the same treatment requirements.

There has been a rise in incidents of type 2 diabetes in recent years, which can be the result of obesity and lack of exercise, and many people diagnosed with it demonstrate no symptoms of the illness. At the same time, unstable insulin levels and increased insulin resistance can take place years before confirmation of a type 2 diagnosis.

Many patients suffering from type 2 diabetes take oral diabetes medications, although in many cases insulin therapy comes into play at some point. Diabetes medications are not without their own side effects, which include increased risk of bladder cancer and bone fractures, liver disease, weight gain, diarrhea, upset stomach and loss of appetite. There are other drawbacks, which depend on the specific drugs prescribed. However, with any prescription drug there will always be some level of risk involved.

Contrary to Popular Belief, the Complications and Symptoms of Diabetes can be put into Remission with the Right Kind of Treatment

At Valhalla Wellness, we have a commitment to helping our patients strengthen and heal their bodies on a cellular level. We’ll address your short-term needs while working toward resolutions for the underlying problem with a multifaceted approach that utilizes a variety of treatments. We’ll assess your health status and formulate a program designed to fit your needs.

We’ll also coordinate with medical doctors so we can help get you off your medications. You might believe you could be on them forever, but in spite of what the other doctors think, your body will have the final say. If you’re the right fit for our program, and if you’re willing to make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle, we can help you heal your body with our functional approach to medicine. We’ll give your body the ability to heal itself, which can be much more effective than any prescription drug.