The straight facts on treating diabetes successfully

With diabetes now considered pandemic throughout the world, there have been enormous advances in the field. Now significantly revised and updated, this new edition of Diabetes For Dummies includes the latest information on diabetes medications and monitoring equipment, new findings about treating diabetes in the young and elderly, new ways to diagnose and treat long- and short-term complications, updated nutritional guidelines, new tools for measuring blood sugar and delivering insulin to the body, and much more.

There's no question that the burden of diabetes is increasing globally: it's estimated that 387 million people worldwide are living with diabetes, and that staggering number is expected to increase an additional 205 million+ by 2035. If you or a loved one is part of this overwhelming statistic, you can take comfort in the sensitive and authoritative information provided in this hands-on guide. From monitoring and maintaining your glucose to understanding the importance of exercising and eating right--and everything in between--Diabetes For Dummies takes the guesswork out of living with diabetes and empowers you to take control and keep your life on a healthy track.

* Reduce your risk of diabetes complications

* Discover the latest and the tried-and-true options for monitoring blood sugar

* Get up to speed on the various diabetes medications and lifestyle strategies

* Improve diabetes control and overall health

If you're one of the millions of diabetics or pre-diabetics in search of an accessible and up-to-date resource to help you manage this disease, Diabetes For Dummies is the trusted guide you'll turn to again and again.

Alan Rubin, MD, is the author of Diabetes Cookbook For Dummies, Type I Diabetes For Dummies, Prediabetes For Dummies, High Blood Pressure For Dummies, Thyroid For Dummies, and Vitamin D For Dummies. He is a professional member of the Endocrine Society and American Diabetes Association.

With diabetes now considered pandemic throughout the world, there have been enormous advances in the field. Now significantly revised and updated, this new edition of Diabetes For Dummies includes the latest information on diabetes medications and monitoring equipment, new findings about treating diabetes in the young and elderly, new ways to diagnose and treat long- and short-term complications, updated nutritional guidelines, new tools for measuring blood sugar and delivering insulin to the body, and much more.

There's no question that the burden of diabetes is increasing globally: it's estimated that 387 million people worldwide are living with diabetes, and that staggering number is expected to increase an additional 205 million+ by 2035. If you or a loved one is part of this overwhelming statistic, you can take comfort in the sensitive and authoritative information provided in this hands-on guide. From monitoring and maintaining your glucose to understanding the importance of exercising and eating rightand everything in betweenDiabetes For Dummies takes the guesswork out of living with diabetes and empowers you to take control and keep your life on a healthy track.

• Reduce your risk of diabetes complications
• Discover the latest and the tried-and-true options for monitoring blood sugar
• Get up to speed on the various diabetes medications and lifestyle strategies
• Improve diabetes control and overall health

If you're one of the millions of diabetics or pre-diabetics in search of an accessible and up-to-date resource to help you manage this disease, Diabetes For Dummies is the trusted guide you'll turn to again and again.

Inhalt

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 4

Beyond This Book 4

Where to Go from Here 5

Part I: Getting Started with Diabetes 7

Chapter 1: Dealing with Diabetes 9

Achieving Anything Or Everything! 10

Keeping good company 10

Realizing your potential 11

Reacting to Your Diagnosis 11

Experiencing denial 11

Feeling anger 12

Bargaining for more time and feeling depressed 12

Moving on 13

Maintaining a High Quality of Life 14

Exercising regularly 15

Factoring in the (minimal) impact of insulin treatments 15

Managing stress 16

Considering other key qualityoflife factors 17

Chapter 2: Making the Diagnosis with Glucose and Hemoglobin A1c 19

Realizing the Role of Glucose 19

Understanding the Hemoglobin A1c 21

Getting a WakeUp Call from Prediabetes 22

Knowing whether you should get tested 22

Testing for prediabetes 23

Detecting Diabetes 24

Diagnosing diabetes through testing 24

Examining the symptoms of diabetes 26

Tracing the History of Diabetes Treatment 27

Explaining the Obesity (and Diabetes) Epidemic 29

Putting Faces to the Numbers: Sharing Some Real Patient Stories 30

Chapter 3: Recognizing the Various Types of Diabetes 33

Getting to Know Your Pancreas and Its Role in Diabetes 34

Examining your pancreas 34

Understanding insulin 35

Understanding Type 1 Diabetes and You 36

Identifying symptoms of type 1 diabetes 36

Investigating the causes of type 1 diabetes 37

Getting type 1 diabetes 38

Preventing type 1 diabetes 39

Having Type 2 Diabetes 39

Identifying symptoms of type 2 diabetes 40

Investigating what causes (and what doesn't cause) type 2 diabetes 42

Getting type 2 diabetes 43

Preventing the causes of type 2 diabetes 44

Recognizing variants of type 1 and 2 diabetes 46

Dealing with Gestational Diabetes 48

Recognizing Other Types of Diabetes 48

Part II: Knowing How Uncontrolled Diabetes Affects Your Body 51

Chapter 4: Avoiding ShortTerm Complications 53

Solving (and Steering Clear of) ShortTerm Complications 53

Dropping Too Low: Hypoglycemia 54

Identifying the signs of hypoglycemia 55

Categorizing levels of hypoglycemia 57

Managing the causes of hypoglycemia 57

Understanding the risks of hypoglycemia in special situations 60

Treating hypoglycemia 61

Combating Ketoacidosis 62

Managing Hyperosmolar Syndrome 63

Heeding the symptoms of hyperosmolar syndrome 64

Finding the cause 64

Treating hyperosmolar syndrome 65

Chapter 5: Warding Off LongTerm Complications 67

Knowing How LongTerm Complications Develop and How to Avoid Them 68

Kidney Disease 68

The impact of diabetes on your kidneys 70

Early indications of kidney disease 70

Progressive changes in the kidneys 71

Treatment for diabetic nephropathy 73

Eye Disease 76

Noting common eye problems in diabetics 76

Eyeing the risks of retinopathy 78

Resources for the blind and visually impaired 80

Nerve Disease, Also Known as Neuropathy 80

Examining the basics of neuropathy 81

Recognizing disorders of sensation 82

Comprehending disorders of movement 84

Recognizing disorders of automatic (autonomic) nerves 85

Entrapment neuropathies 86

Heart Disease 87

Identifying risks of heart disease to diabetic patients 88

Metabolic syndrome 90

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy 92

Cardiomyopathy 92