Diabetes Mellitus

The word diabetes is taken from the Greek word diabainein which literally means ?passing through.? This is in direct reference to excessive urination, a major symptom of diabetes. Mellitus, on the other hand, is from the Greek word mel meaning ?honey? and was added to diabetes when Thomas Willis noted that a diabetic?s blood and urine has a sweet taste as a result of too much sugar in both.

Diabetes mellitus is a medical disorder that is characterized by persistent high blood sugar levels as a result of defective insulin secretion. Diabetes is further classified into two forms, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Both types can be treated through medicine or lifestyle changes. The main risks that come with having diabetes are cardiovascular diseases, chronic renal failure, retinal damage, nerve damage, and gangrene.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 1

Formerly known as juvenile onset diabetes, diabetes mellitus type 1 is marked by a decrease or the absence of insulin production in the body. This is commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents and leads to absolute insulin deficiency. When diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus type 1, the body destroys its beta cells in the pancreas, which, in turn, reduces insulin production. Diabetes mellitus type 1 is treated with insulin shots and lifestyle adjustments. Blood glucose levels must also be monitored carefully using blood test kits that may be used at home. Insulin may also be administered using insulin pumps that allow insulin infusion 24 hours a day in optimum levels.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Adult onset diabetes, or diabetes mellitus type 2 is more common than diabetes mellitus type 2 and is characterized by the body's resistance to insulin. The symptoms related to type 2 diabetes may go unnoticed for years because they are quite mild and occur irregularly. Although type 2 diabetes is more complicated than type 1 diabetes, it is easier to treat. Type 2 diabetes may be managed by proper diet, weight reduction, proper exercise, and oral medication.

By Josh Riverside

HIV Does It Have A Natural Cure? How Can You Get This Terrible Disease?

The Human immunodeficiency Virus or HIV as it is popularly known, is the virus
that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). HIV causes a person's
immune system to weaken dramatically. The immune system is the body's
defense mechanism against all forms of infection and undesirable intrusions.
When HIV attacks the body's immune system, the body becomes more prone
to infection. These infections are oftentimes called "opportunistic"
infections since the take the "opportunity" of infecting the body at its
weak state. Once infection has taken place, illnesses can occur. Some
of these illnesses can be arrested by a healthy immune system. However, a
considerably weakened immune system will not be able to fight the infection.

Having HIV does not mean that one has AIDS. The HIV weakens the immune system
but AIDS sets in when infections have already take place. AIDS thus
consists of the weakened immune system and the infections that have affected
the body to a great extent.

Individuals who are affected with HIV may not know it. The virus can remain
dormant for weeks, months or even years. Once the virus multiplies, the body
may not even detect it. It may take time for the body's immune system
to respond to the virus. HIV can progress to AIDS when: an HIV-infected
individual's CD4 T cell count drops below 200 cells/mm; an HIV-infected
individual develops an illness that is very unusual in someone who is not
HIV-positive .

The HIV cannot reproduce outside a living host, nor can it survive well in
the environment. HIV cannot be transmitted with handshakes, breaths, or
sharing clothes. There is no evidence that insects can be carriers or
transmitters of HIV.

HIV is transmitted via blood transfusion. There are many ways wherein blood
may be transfused from one individual to another. One example is blood
donation. The other common example is through sexual intercourse, especially
when there are open wounds within the genitals or genital area.

An individual can lessen the chances of acquiring HIV by being careful in
matters that relate to the occasions when blood can be transferred from
one individual to the other.

At present, researchers are still very active in researching on the cures or
alleviations for HIV. Since HIV attacks the immune system, it is important to
take vitamins and minerals that strengthen the immune system. These vitamins
include vitamin A, the B-complex vitamins, and vitamin C. University studies have found that colloidal silver can kill the HIV virus in a petry dish but don't know if it will work in humans

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that contributes to the health of the immune system.
Zinc increases the reproduction of infection-fighting T-cells. Selenium
increases the production of natural killer cells and mobilizes cells to fight
complications that may be arise from HIV.

By Ben W Taylor

How to Identify the Specific Symptoms of Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is known to be a life-threatening chronic autoimmune disease. As indicated by statistics, around 2 million people in the United States suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus and most of them are affected by severe forms of the disease. Lupus is characterized by dysfunctions of the immune system, which begins to attack healthy blood cells and the body’s genetic material. Instead of protecting the organism from external infectious agents, the immune system produces abnormal antibodies which cause serious damage to the entire body.

Although modern medicine hasn’t yet found a cure for systemic lupus erythematosus, the medical treatments available today can control the manifestations of the disease, preventing it from evolving. The progression of systemic lupus erythematosus can be very unpredictable. An interesting feature of the disease is the alternation between periods of remission and periods of aggravation. In the periods of remission, people with the disease have milder symptoms of lupus, only to experience severe and diversified symptoms later on, in the periods of recurrence. Lupus has a pronounced chronic character which determines the reappearance of its symptoms in time. Due to the recidivating character of the symptoms of lupus, the medical treatment is ongoing and involves frequent changes in the medication dosage.

Systemic lupus erythematosus can generate a wide variety of symptoms. Each patient with the disease can experience different symptoms of lupus, at oscillating intensities. In the initial stages of the disease, the symptoms of lupus resemble those of a cold or flu: generalized state of fatigue, body weakness, muscle and joint pain, headache, poor appetite and moderate fever. These unspecific symptoms of lupus are usually not intense and can persist for several months before they are replaced with specific symptoms of lupus: skin rashes that amplify due to exposure to the sun, lesions in the mouth and nose, joint inflammation and swelling, ongoing muscle pain, hair loss, dramatic weight loss or weight gain, chest pain when taking deep breaths. Laboratory analyses can reveal the following symptoms of lupus: abnormal numbers of blood cells (red cells, white cells or platelets), presence of malign anti-DNA antibodies in the blood, presence of antinuclear antibodies in the blood (ANA).

When the disease affects the cardiovascular system, the symptoms of lupus are: hyperactivity of the heart, accelerated pulse and high blood pressure. Many people with systemic lupus erythematosus can in time develop serious heart diseases.

When the autoimmune disease affects the nervous system, the symptoms of lupus are: states of mental confusion, poor concentration, seizures and faints. Patients can also develop psychological problems such as: depression, paranoia and mania.

The symptoms of lupus are diverse and sometimes they can become very intense. People with lupus experience different kinds of symptoms at different stages of the disease. Hence, the medical treatment for lupus is individualized, every patient receiving medications according to the experienced symptoms. It is very important to timely discover the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients, in order to commence the administration of an appropriate treatment. Without proper medications and constant medical monitoring, the symptoms of lupus can become severe and the patients’ overall health can be dramatically affected.

By Groshan Fabiola

Child Obesity and Diabetes

We cannot discuss obesity in the same terms when it deals with children as it relates to adults. Some researchers avoid the word “obesity” altogether in an effort to avoid stigmatizing individuals. Others use the term “childhood obesity” to speak of a general phenomenon. Nevertheless, obesity is indeed a problem among young people, no matter what terminology you choose to employ.

Besides the obvious psychological issues that children afflicted with obesity often have to deal with, childhood obesity can cause numerous physical health problems. One of the biggest concerns in recent years has been the rising number of children afflicted with type 2 diabetes – a disease that previously mainly afflicted adults.

In the course of the last two decades, the statistics of children and adult afflicted with this disease have risen to fifty percent. Today, nearly thirty percent of all adults and twenty five percent of all children struggle with obesity.

What’s more, children who are obese often develop into obese adults. Parallel to the increase in obesity has been the increase in type 2 diabetes, also known as non insulin dependent diabetes.

Throw obesity in to the equation, and this type of diabetes can be very difficult to treat. It can even cause the body to develop an insulin resistance.

Diabetes 2 is not the only physical health issue related to obesity. People who are overweight and/or obese are at major risk for contacting severe chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension. For children afflicted with severe weight problems, they can contact gall bladder disease, liver disease, sleep apnea, and may run the risk of high cholesterol.

By Dr. Mark Clayson