Diabetes Clinic : Treatments
for Diabetes Type 1, Diabetes Type 2
The Diabetes Clinic at Vejthani
Hospital Bangkok Thailand provides a full range
of diagnostic, therapeutic and educational services
for patients with diabetes and diseases.
The Diabetes Clinic at Vejthani
Hospital Bangkok Thailand was established in
June 2006. The Diabetes Clinic was set up to
meet the growing need of patients with diabetes
and diseases. The Dibate Clinic provides a full
range of diagnostic, therapeutic and educational
services for patients with aforementioned diseases.
Headed by prominent endocrinologist, Dr. Thawatchai
Pasurakul.
Diabetes Clinic : Facilities
- Examination rooms for private
consultation and physical exam
- Comprehensive approach to the diagnosis
- Provide Imaging and Laboratory Facilities
to prevent diseases complication
- Thyroidectomy
Diabetes Clinic : Services
Diabetes Clinic
- The Diabetes Clinic brings
together of diabetes specialists, diabetes educators
and registered dieticians for consultation,
diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diabetes
and conditions related to diabetic .
Diabetes Clinic : Educational
classes
- The community where is the
group of patients have met and got new learning
about the disease.
Diabetes Clinic : SERVICE HOURS
Monday - Sunday : 07.00 am -04.00 pm
Diabetes Clinic : Location
Vejthani Hospital’s Endocrine Center 3rd Floor
Symptoms of Diabetes & Diseases
According to the American Diabetes
Association, the United States is home to over
20 million children and adults with diabetes.
They estimate that about a third of them are
unaware that they even have the disease. That's
over 6 million undiagnosed cases of diabetes.
The trouble with diagnosing
diabetes is that the symptoms often begin gradually.
People with type 2 diabetes average four to
seven years before they are diagnosed. Sometimes
a doctor can make a diagnosis based on complications
from diabetes rather than the diabetes symptoms
themselves. For example, vision changes, sores
that won’t heal, heart disease and numbness
in the feet and legs often prompt a doctor to
suspect diabetes.
Diabetes is a condition where
insulin is not produced (or insulin is not recognized
by the cells) and the body is unable to break
down the glucose in the blood properly. The
body’s response to excess glucose in the blood
is to get rid of it through urination. Frequent
urination with large volumes of urine is one
of the classic Symptoms of Diabetes & Diseases
along with excessive thirst, hunger and weight
loss. Despite an increased intake of water,
dehydration can also occur.
When excess glucose builds
up in the blood, the cells can become starved
for energy because instead of the glucose traveling
to the cells, they remain in the blood. Starving
cells translates into a fatigued body as well
as a hungry body.
Despite an increased appetite,
weight loss occurs because the cells are not
receiving the nutrition they require and the
glucose, along with its calories, is being washed
away with the urine rather than being absorbed
by the body.
Other signs of diabetes can
include blurry vision, dry mouth, dry or itchy
skin, male impotence, vaginal yeast infections,
unexplained aches and pains, urinary tract infections,
sores that don’t heal very well, excessive infections
and genital itching.
Over time, eyes, kidneys, nerves
and the heart can become damaged due to high
glucose levels in the blood.
Type 1 diabetes tends to come
on rapidly with the classic symptoms of frequent
urination, excessive thirst and fatigue while
type 2 diabetes comes on more slowly, often
over a course of years. This has prompted the
medical community to recommend routine testing
for people over 45 years old.
Risk assessments for diabetes
can be found online to determine the risk for
getting diabetes. Factors that are considered
are age, weight, family members with diabetes
and the birth size of babies born to women.
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes occurs when
the pancreas cannot produce an adequate supply
of insulin. The hormone insulin helps cells
use glucose (derived from food intake and the
liver) for energy. Glucose that can't be absorbed
properly builds up in the blood stream resulting
in high blood sugar. Excessive blood glucose
levels can severely harm every system in the
body.
Young People's Disease
Because type 1 diabetes normally
occurs in children and young adults, it is sometimes
called juvenile diabetes. However, type 1 diabetes
can strike at any time in life. The disease
is evenly distributed among the sexes and is
more common among Caucasians than other racial
groups. In the U.S., type 1 diabetes accounts
for 5-10% of all diabetic cases diagnosed.
Type 1 diabetes is believed
to be caused by a genetic predisposition to
the disease. This genetic predisposition lies
dormant until triggered by a virus, toxin, or
drug which attacks the immune system and beta
cells of the pancreas.
Risk factors for type
1 diabetes include:
• a parent or sibling with
the disease
• auto-immune disorder such as thyroid disease
• history of childhood viruses such as rubella,
adenovirus, Epstein-Barr.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Type 1 diabetes develops rapidly
and its symptoms can be quite dramatic. Symptoms
of type 1 diabetes include the following:
- excessive hunger or thirst
- frequent urination
- slow healing wounds
- dry skin
- rapid breathing
- blurred vision
- mood swings
- unexplained weight loss
- headaches
- tingling in extremities
- high blood pressure.
These symptoms, however, could
also be indications of other illnesses. To confirm
a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, the doctor will
perform a blood test. Usually, a plasma glucose
test is administered. The patient must fast
for 8 hours after which blood is drawn for the
test. Other tests for type 1 diabetes include
the random plasma glucose test in which blood
can be taken any time of the day, and, the oral
glucose tolerance test at which blood is drawn
at three hour intervals after the patient drinks
75 grams of glucose.
Early detection of type 1 diabetes
is critical to preventing diabetes complications
and causing serious damage to the body. Heart
disease, nerve damage, kidney failure, and blindness
could result if the disease is left untreated.
Treating the Disease
The goal of type 1 diabetes
treatment is to maintain blood glucose levels
to as close to normal as possible. To do this,
patients replace the insulin their pancreas
cannot produce by injecting themselves with
insulin via a insulin injection or an insulin
pump. Self-monitoring blood glucose kits allow
patients to see how diet, exercise, and other
factors affect their glucose levels.
In addition to insulin replacement,
type 1 diabetics must make lifestyle changes
that will keep their diabetes under control.
A healthy diet, regular exercise, and regular
blood glucose monitoring are crucial to managing
type 1 diabetes and reducing the risk of serious
complications from the disease.
What is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is the most
common form of diabetes with nearly 95% of diabetic
cases being diagnosed as such. At least 20 million
adults have type 2 diabetes with millions more
unknowingly harboring prediabetic symptoms.
The muscle, liver, and fat
cells in a type 2 diabetic's body are unable
to use insulin produced by the pancreas properly.
This is called insulin resistance. The hormone
insulin helps cells use glucose, derived from
food intake and the liver, for energy.
As the pancreas becomes unable
to supply an adequate amount of insulin, glucose
builds up in the blood stream while the cells
are starved for energy. High amounts of glucose
damage nerves and blood vessels which leads
to serious diabetes complications throughout
the body.
Also known as adult-onset diabetes,
type 2 diabetes can occur in children and teens.
In recent years, type 2 diabetes has been on
the rise among the young as children have succumbed
to the obesity and sedentary lifestyle problems
of adults.
Who's at Risk?
Researchers believe heredity
plays a strong part in type 2 diabetes. People
having a parent or sibling with the disease
are 10-15% more susceptible to developing type
2 diabetes. Other factors include:
• Ethnicity (persons of African-American, Asian-American,
American Indian, Latino, and Pacific Islander
descent);
• Overweight (body mass index of 25 or more);
• History of gestational diabetes or having
given birth to a baby over 9 lbs;
• High blood pressure or cholesterol;
• Sedentary lifestyle;
• Over age 65;
• Diagnosed as prediabetic (blood glucose level
higher than normal).
What are the Diabetes
Signs?
Type 2 diabetes progresses gradually; many people
are diagnosed once they experience complications
from the disease such as blurred vision or foot
pain. There are several symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
While these signs could also indicate other
illnesses, it is advisable to first get tested
for diabetes.
- excessive hunger or thirst
- frequent urination
- slow healing wounds
- dry skin
- rapid breathing
- blurred vision
- mood swings, depression
- unexplained weight loss
- headaches
- tingling in extremities
- frequent infections (urinary, yeast, skin)
- high blood pressure
Three plasma blood glucose
tests are available for diagnosing type 2 diabetes.
The most commonly used test (fasting plasma
glucose) requires the patient to fast for 8
hours after which a blood sample is taken. In
another test, blood is taken at any time during
the day (random plasma glucose). The oral glucose
tolerance test requires a patient to drink 75
grams of glucose; blood is then drawn in intervals
up to 3 hours afterward.
Health Risks
Type 2 diabetes can cause serious
harm to all parts of the body including the
cardiovascular system. Heart disease is one
of the leading complications of type 2 diabetes.
Other diabetes-related health problems include:
- nerve damage;
- vision problems (glaucoma, cataracts, blindness);
- kidney disease;
- sexual dysfunction;
- dry, cracked skin (susceptible to infection);
- gum disease.
Diabetes Treatment
Options
A healthy diet and regular
exercise will help prevent or delay the onset
of type 2 diabetes. It is also important to
maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol
levels, and, to avoid excessive weight gain.
Once a person is diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes, he may need medications
to help control his condition. Oral medications
are often prescribed when diet and exercise
alone can't keep blood sugars in check.
Sometimes a type 2 diabetic
will need insulin injections to control glucose
levels. Insulin is injected using a syringe
or infused with an insulin pump. Patients must
regularly check their glucose levels by using
a self-monitoring blood glucose device.
Treatment for Diabetes
Successful treatment makes
all the difference to long-term health, and
achieving balanced diabetes treatment can be
the key to living with both type 1 and type
2 diabetes. Treatment varies for each individual,
not simply on the type of diabetes that they
have, but also more individual-specific diabetic
treatment differences.
When treating diabetes, management
strategies should be planned along with a qualified
health care team. Never make changes to treatment
schedule or management routine without consulting
a medical professional, no matter what advice
you are given elsewhere.
The following information on
treatments for diabetes is from the National
Diabetes Fact Sheet: National estimates and
general information on diabetes in the United
States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Atlanta , GA : US Department of Health and Human
Services, 1997):
"Diabetes knowledge, treatment,
and prevention strategies advance daily. Treatment
is aimed at keeping blood glucose near normal
levels at all times. Training in self-management
is integral to the treatment of diabetes. Treatment
must be individualized and must address medical,
psychosocial, and lifestyle issues."
A variety of different factors
have a role to play in treating diabetes, but
the importance of balanced, co-ordinated diabetes
treatment for all diabetics cannot be underestimated.
Regular and successful treatment decreases the
risk of each patient developing diabetes complications.
The basics of diabetes treatment are broken
down into each diabetic type below.
Treatment of Type 1
diabetes
Type 1 diabetes treatment is
a daily task. Lack of insulin production by
the pancreas makes Type 1 diabetes is particularly
difficult to control. Treatment requires a strict
regimen that typically includes a carefully
calculated diet, planned physical activity,
home blood glucose testing several times a day,
and multiple daily insulin injections.
Treatment of Type 2
diabetes
Treatment typically includes
diet control, exercise, home blood glucose testing,
and in some cases, oral medication and/or insulin.
Approximately 40% of people with type 2 diabetes
require insulin injections.
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