Diabetes

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Why You Really Hurt
It All Starts in the foot

by Dr. Burton S. Shuler

Diabetes is a malfunction

in the way our body

digests food for growth

and energy. It is a

serious, life-long disorder

that is as yet incurable.

In the non-diabetic, a

chemical called glucose

(sugar) is formed when the

food we eat is broken down

by the digestive system.

After the glucose is formed,

it goes into our blood where

our body uses it to supply our

cells for energy and growth.

In order for this to occur,

a hormone called Insulin,

which is made by the pancreas,

must be present.

In people who don't have

diabetes, the pancreas

will produce the proper

level of insulin so

glucose can properly

be absorbed by our body.

In people with diabetes,

not enough insulin, if any,

is produced by the beta

cells of the pancreas; or

the body refuses to respond

to the insulin that is made.

Because of this, in the

diabetic, glucose is not

absorbed properly by the

cells and then accumulates

in the blood. The start of

diabetes is when the glucose

abnormally builds up in the

blood and is not absorbed

properly by the body. If

that is allowed to occur

uncontrolled for a long

period of time, we get

the long-term Complications

associated with diabetes

that affect almost every

major part of the body. It

can cause blindness,

heart disease, strokes,

kidney failure, amputations,

nerve damage, and birth

defects in babies born to

women with diabetes. Its

most common symptoms are

excessive thirst, blurred

vision, fatigue, frequent

urination, unexplained

weight loss, changes in

appetite, irritability,

itchy skin, sweet-smelling

breath, slow healing of cuts,

nausea, vomiting and severe

abdominal pain.

Ignoring the symptoms of

diabetes can lead to a

variety of other health

complications, including

blindness, amputations,

heart attacks and kidney

disease.

Although diabetes occurs

most often in older adults,

it is one of the most common

chronic disorders in children.

Diabetes can develop in people

of any age or ethnic background,

although some groups appear to

be at higher risk for certain

types of diabetes. It occurs

almost equally among males and

females, and it is more common

in the white, non-Hispanic

population. For some unknown

reasons several northern

European countries, including

Finland and Sweden, have very

high rates of diabetes.

According to the American

Diabetes Association in their book

DIABETES 1996 VITAL STATISTICS,

we know the following facts

about Diabetes.

About 16 million people in the United States in 1994 were projected to have diabetes mellitus or about 6% of the population.
Each year, 500,000 to 700,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes.
Almost half of these people do not know they have diabetes and are not under medical care.
Each year, 11,000 to 12,000 children and teenagers are diagnosed with diabetes.
In terms of medical care, treatment supplies, hospitalizations, time lost from work, disability payments, and premature death, diabetes cost this country $92 billion in 1992, which was the last year records were available.
In 1993 4.2 million women and 3.6 million men were diagnosed with diabetes.
Native Americans have the highest rates of diabetes in the world, upwards of 50% of their population.
Approximately 9.6% of African Americans have diabetes.
Approximately 6.2 % of White Americans have diabetes.
It was the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 1993: 385,000 died in 1993, who had diabetes; 169,000 deaths were directly related to having diabetes or its complication

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