Frequent Asked Questions about Diabetes and "Intelligent"
I. Recognizing diabetes
1. What is diabetes?
All human energy comes from metabolism of food and the the digestive process converts food into glucose. The human pancreas secretes insulin to help deliver glucose to individual cells. Within the cells, glucose releases energy for human needs. If insulin levels are too low, or the insulin can not play its physiological role, glucose is not used, and it accumulates in the blood. This is the cause of "high blood sugar." High blood sugar can cause thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and other symptoms.
2. What are the consequences of diabetes?
Long-term high blood sugar can cause metabolic disorders in many systems in the body, resulting in enlarged blood vessels or microvascular disease, and other serious complications such as heart disease, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic foot, etc. Together these are serious enough to endanger human life.
3. Why does diabetes occur?
Modern medicine can not give a clear explanation. However, the following factors that are associated with diabetes.
(1) Diabetes is a disease with genetic factors. In type 1 diabetes, genetic factors account for 50%, while in type Ⅱ diabetes, genetic factors account for more than 50%.
(2) Diabetes is related to one's mental states. Nervousness, agitation, etc. can cause blood sugar and hormone secretion thus causing blood sugar to rise.
(3) Obesity is a major cause of diabetes. A bad diet and a lifestyle that lacks exercise can lead to obesity. These people have an increased chance of contracting diabetes at a younger age.
(4) Other environmental factors can also trigger diabetes, such as air, water, food, chemical pollution.
(5) Side effects of prescription drugs can trigger diabetes.
(6) Over eating and excessive drinking of alcohol can trigger diabetes.
4. What is blood sugar?
Glucose is present in blood, and it is measured in units: MMOL / L (millimoles / liter, mg / dL).
5. What is the source of blood sugar?
(1) Polysaccharide (complex sugars) is broken down into glucose in the digestive tract, and glucose enters into the circulation system.
(2) When the stomach is empty, blood glucose comes from the liver. The liver stores it as glycogen, and when needed, it can be broken down into glucose.
(3) Protein and fat, through gluconeogenesis, can also be converted into glucose.
6, What is the normal range of blood sugar level?
Blood sugar levels are low when fasting and high after eating. Blood sugar levels are lowest at 3 to 4 A.M. in the morning when fasting blood glucose is 3.9-6.1 (59-109) MMOL / L. Half an hour to one hour after a meal blood sugar should not exceed 11.1MMOL / L (199). Two hours after a meal to 7.8 (140) or less.
7, Do blood sugar levels have anything to do with having a cold?
When a flu virus attacks the body's cells, the efficiency of β cells decreases and blood sugar levels will rise even when there are no obvious cold symptoms. But in fact, the virus has already invaded the body and blood sugar levels will fluctuate.
8, Is there any relationship between blood sugar levels and human emotions?
TCM believes that the liver is the master of emotions. Anger and frustration can affect liver function. If the energy flow of the liver is blocked, it can directly affect body's metabolism.
9, Is blood sugar and the environment related?
Of course, climate, pollution, heavy metals in excess of normal amounts, and excessive pesticide residues can cause blood sugar to rise.
10. What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the islet in the pancreas. This is the single most important hypoglycemic hormone. On the one hand, insulin can increase the conversion of glycogen into glucose for use in cells. On the other hand, insulin can inhibit the conversion of glycogen into glucose. In addition, insulin can promote the synthesis of protein and fat, and prevent them from being converted to glycogen. So whatever the cause, a deficiency of insulin can cause blood sugar induced diabetes.
11, How much insulin is secreted per person per day, and how much insulin do we need every day?The normal secretion is 46U of insulin every day, and this is what we need.
12. Are there side effects of injecting insulin, and why?
Insulin has side effects. The amount of insulin injected cannot match exactly what the body needs. Your own secretion and what is injected is always greater than 46U, in order to ensure the normal glucose conversion. So the extra insulin will be excreted by the liver and the kidneys. Thus, there is an additional burden on the liver and the kidneys, and their function will be affected. Low liver and kidney function in turn affects their discharge capacity, so it creates a vicious cycle. The body is bound to accept an excessive amount of insulin, and this can cause complications.
13, Why will doctors tell us: Insulin has no side effects?
The discovery of insulin has saved many lives, but the side effects of insulin are undeniable. As the American Dr. Barnard described it: Pharmaceutical manufacturers dominate the information transferred to the general public.
II. Diabetes is mainly classified into type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ diabetes.
14, Ⅰ type diabetes and type Ⅱ diabetes: What is the difference?
In type Ⅰ diabetes islet β cells are destroyed, causing an absolute lack of insulin. This is an autoimmune disease. It usually occurs in children and adolescents. It may also occur at all ages, and it accounts for 5-10% of the number of patients with diabetes.
Type Ⅱ diabetes is also called adult-onset diabetes. It normally happens to those who are older than 40 years of age. But we found in our clinical practice that type Ⅱ diabetes is happening increasingly in younger patients. 90-95% of all diabetics are clinically type Ⅱ diabetics. For type Ⅱ diabetics，the ability to to produce insulin is not completely lost, but there is a relative lack of insulin in the body of these patients. Certain oral medication can stimulate insulin secretion. But at the later stages of type II diabetes, some patients require insulin therapy like type Ⅰ diabetes.
Besides the two types mentioned above, gestational diabetes refers to diabetes during pregnancy.
There are also other special types of diabetes: those due to mutations or pancreatic disease.
15, What are the warning signs that you are getting diabetes?
(1) Family history of diabetes
(2) Obesity
(3) Women who have a history of gestational diabetes, or have had an overweight baby.
(4) Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, gout, arteriosclerosis.
(5) Dry mouth, thirst, drink a lot of water, frequent urination.
(6) Often feel hungry, anxiety, sweating, weakness, tremors and other similar symptoms.
(7) Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, lung infections, skin and genital infections.
(8) Permanent leg or foot ulcers.
(9) Sudden vision loss, early cataracts, limb numbness, peripheral nerve disorders and other symptoms.
(10) Sexual dysfunction for middle-aged men for no apparent reason.
16. What clinical tests reveal diabetes?
(1) glucose (GLU)
(2) urine (u-GLU)
(3) oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
(4) intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT)
(5) Test for islet function
(6) Test for autoimune antibodies
(7) glycated hemoglobin
(8) insulin release test
17. Testing for the three key signs of diabetes.
Most people with diabetes are found to have "three high" blood test readings: high lipids, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Besides a bllod sugar test, we require a blood test to report these values.
18, What is the relationship between blood sugar, cholesterol, and diabetes?
Those who suffer from diabetes, due to the absolute or relative lack of body fat and decreased synthesis of insulin, experience accelerated degeneration caused by lipid metabolism, insulin catabolism of triglyceride and thereby have metabolic imbalances arising from diabetes.
19, What are the dangers of hyperlipidemia?
It can cause vascular disease, increased incidence of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and cerebral vascular disease.
20, What are the characteristics of diabetes and hypertension?
There are many similarities between hypertension and diabetes, and in a majority of patients, both exist. In this case the heart, brain, kidney and vascular disease incidence will be significantly increased. So this product will assist in the treatment of diabetes, and it will also help to treat hypertension.
21. Under what circumstances do you need both prescription medication and Chinese herbs to treat diabetes?
When you begin to take “Intelligent”, do not immediately stop taking insulin and other prescription medications. Also, if high blood sugar persists, the patient should continue to take insulin and other prescription medication according to a doctors orders. But the ultimate goal, will be to stop the prescription medicine and the insulin when the patient is completely restored to full health.