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LOW BLOOD SUGAR OR HYPOGLYCEMIA

Post author By arun karthik
Post date October 18, 2023
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LOW BLOOD SUGAR OR HYPOGLYCEMIA

Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia is the most important side effect of diabetes treatment. Any blood sugar value of less than 70 mg /dl is called low sugar.For any doctor, the biggest challenge is in getting the sugar levels under good control ,that is between 90 to 160 mg/dl at any given time of the day ,without letting it go below 70. This becomes more tricky in elderly people, because any giddiness and subsequent fall might land them in the hospital.

What are the symptoms of low sugar ?

Giddiness,palpitations,sweating,tremors or shivering of the hands ,and extreme hunger are the common symptoms of low sugar. In elderly people confusion, incoherent and unrelated talking (blabbering), passing urine in their paint without their knowledge,are some symptoms that can occcur. In rare cases p,the patient can go into a hypogycemic coma.

How do we minimise the chances of hypoglycemia in our patients ?

Educating about low sugar. This is the single most important step in managing or avoiding low sugar.We educate patients regarding low sugar symptoms and several tips to avoid low sugar.Low sugar snacks for correcting , in case of hypoglycemia.
Discussing with patients about the nature of their job (night shifts ,for instance), and suggesting the most comfortable and right time to plan their meals
Choosing the right foods. Foods that are digested slowly so that glucose is released slowly into the blood.This way we can avoid sudden spikes and sudden drops in blood sugar.
Choosing the right medicines. Some medicines are very mild and have a lower tendency of causing low sugar, even if food is delayed. Such medicines work well for older people. But some medicines can be a little more potent,and have to be chosen for patients with very high blood sugar, atleast for a short period .The key is in choosing the right mix, like adding salt in a delicious dish. Not too little, not too much.

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DIABETIC FOOT DISEASE & DIABETES FOOT CARE IMPORTANCE

Post author By arun karthik
Post date October 18, 2023
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DIABETIC FOOT DISEASE & DIABETES FOOT CARE IMPORTANCE

One of the major complications of diabetes is that it affects the feet , leading to non healing wounds ,called TROPHIC ULCERS in the bottom of the feet. In severe cases, this can even lead to amputation at the knee level !.

Let’s understand the diabetic foot symptoms . Now this process happens in 4 stages.

1. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY/ (DIABETIC NERVE DISEASE):

Firstly, the nerves of the feet get damaged due to uncontrolled sugar levels. At this stage, patients may have symptoms like burning sensation in the feet , numbness or cramps in the feet,especially at night . At times, this can be unbearable. At this stage proper control of sugar levels ,and certain medicines to alleviate the pain can remarkably reverse the damage due to diabetic neuropathy.

2. CALLOUS :

But more often than not,people ignore these symptoms ,leading to the second stage, called callous formation . Callous are thickening of the skin in the bottom of the feet,especially below the great toe,due to abnormal pressure points, caused due to diabetic neuropathy. At this stage , you may develop pain in the area where the callous is present,while walking. In time,small punched out ring-like holes form in the location of callouses.These are called TROPHIC ULCERS, ,the third stage .In our centre, our podiatric (diabetic foot care) department , prevent formation of such ulcers,by a process called chiropody. What we do is,carefully remove the hard callous with special blades, so that the pressure is relieved. This process, called chiropody, is like nail cutting , and is virtually painless.

3. DIABETIC FOOT ULCER :

Once a diabetic foot ulcer develops, it is extremely difficult to get rid of it. The 2 important treatment aspects are ,sugar control and foot pressure relief.No amount of antibiotics or dressings can heal the wound.Many of you who are reading this article, may have experienced this, with your family members. The wound keeps coming back and forth,despite several dressings. Using specialised instruments ,called BIOTHESIOMETER ,DOPPLER & PODISCANNER, we scan the extent of nerve damage, blood vessel blocks and abnormal pressure points in the feet ,and ,advise specific diabetic footwear for pressure relief.Only with proper pressure relief,will the diabetic foot ulcers heal.

4. AMPUTATION :

If these ulcers are ignored, one fine day the toes (most commonly great toe ) gcan get infected, leading to amputation of the toe.This is the advanced stage, where the patient is referred for surgery. If the blood flow to the feet has been compromised due to diabetes, then people may often lose their limb as well. This is what we try to prevent at all costs.If you do not want to land in this situation , we have a simple mantra – CONTROL YOUR DIABETES FROM EARLY ON.

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DIABETES TREATMENT:

Diabetes treatment essentially consists of 3 pillars-Diet,Exercise & medications .Unless these 3 areas are properly addressed ,it is near to impossible to control diabetes,especially in the long term. However, these three areas have to be tailor made for each individual and can never be one size fits all . For example, the dietary needs of a door to door salesman can be much higher than that of a software engineer or a banker. Similarly, exercise regimen for each of these individuals may vary. Many a times, we come across neglected diabetics,whose legs have been amputated, where the scope for exercise might be limited . To make the long story short every individual who walks into our centre gets a customised treatment plan as per his or her requirement, lifestyle and other demographics.

DIET:

Diet plan forms the crux of diabetes treatment. More disciplined your meal plan, the lower your medications. And, just like you, we don’t like medicines either, and we try to keep it to a minimum.In fact lowest possible is one of our key result areas.

Coming back to diet, every time you come to our centre, our dietitians enquire about how your diet plan was and were you successful in implementing and what are your pitfalls. Let’s face it,not many can stick to diet discipline 100%. And we know that as well. However, the fact is, you can certainly have some cheat days and still control your diabetes. How to do it, we will teach you some great hacks. Our You tube channel has some fantastic diet plans which are ready for your use. After thoroughly understanding your daily chores , we help you alter your diet with healthier options ,thus helping youget the best of both worlds.You can choose from a range of patterns like a 2 meal pattern, 3 meal pattern & a 5 meal pattern. Also,you have a choice of south indian, north indian ,vegetarian,non vegetarian and jain diet as well.

EXERCISE:

Exercise is an integral part of diabetes treatment. People who exercise regularly not only have lower chances of getting diabetes, but exercise also reduces the number of medicines which you might be taking.. A brisk walk for about 45 minutes a day is all that is required to reduce your HbA1c by about 1% roughly. For people who have arthritis we conduct physiotherapy sessions to reduce pain and increase mobility..

MEDICINES:

We know that you hate medicines,…right ? So do we. But we gotta do what we gotta do. We try our best to give you the least number of medicines required , to get your sugar under control.The game plan is to delay , or possibly defer potent medicines or insulin as much as possible .

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DIABETES PREVENTION:

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE- THIS ADAGE CANNOT BE MORE APT FOR ANYTHING ELSE THAN DIABETES. IT IS EASIER, AND CERTAINLY POSSIBLE TO PREVENT DEVELOPING DIABETES, THAN TREATING IT. THIS IS ATTEMPTED IN EVERY STAGE OF NATURAL HISTORY OF DIABETES , IN OUR CENTRE.

PRIMODIAL PREVENTION:

PRIMORDIAL PREVENTION IS TREATING BEFORE ONSET. IT INVOVES IDENTIFYING PEOPLE AT RISK. FOR EXAMPLE , PEOPLE WITH STRONG FAMILY HISTORY OF DIABETES,OBESE &OVERWEIGHT INDUVIDUALS,SEDENTARY JOB PROFILE, ARE ENCOURAGED TO UNDERGO SCREENING & RISK ASSESMENT. THIS IS GENERALLY DONE TO ATTENDANTS OR FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN THEY ACCOMPANY THE PATIENTS TO OUR CENTRE (FREE OF CHARGES TOO). AND MANY A TIMES, BODERLINE CASES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND RISK FACTORS MITIGATED WITH LIFESTYLE CORRECTIONS &DIET MODIFICATIONS IN THE EARLIER STAGES ITSELF.

PRIMARY PREVENTION:

PRIMAY PREVENTION IS ,SIMPLY PUT,PREVENTING BODERLINE CASES FROM BECOMING DIABETICS. THIS IS NOT DONE WITH USING MEDICINES. BUT MEASURED, CUSTOMISED CHANGES ARE DONE TO THE DIET AND EXERCISE REGIMEN OF PREDIABETIC INDUVIDUALS , ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE THEM TO NORMAL STAGE, OR ATLEAST KEEPING THEM IN PRE DIABETES ITSELF.

SECODARY PREVENTION:

THIS IS THE MOST COMMON CATEGORY. NOW THAT YOU HAVE DEVELOPED DIABETES ,WE WORK ALONG WITH YOU,EDUCATING,MOTIVATING , AND GUIDING YOU TO MAINTAIN GOOD CONTROL OF DIABETES,THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE , IN ORDER TO PREVENT DEVELOPING COMPLICATIONS & DAMAGING YOUR ORGANS.AND BE INFORMED, IT IS CERTAINLY DOABLE.

TERTIARY PREVENTION:

WELL,THIS IS THE STAGE WERE WE DON’T WANT YOU TO LAND IN. USUALLY SEEN IN NEGLECTED CASES OF DIABETES WHO COME TO US A BIT TOO LATE,THE ORGAN DAMAGES HAVE ALREADY BEGUN . UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ALL DAMAGES CAN BE REVERSED. WE TRY OUR BEST TO PREVENT END STAGE DAMAGE SUCH AS RENAL FAILIURE, HEART ATTACK,,BLINDNESS OR LIMB AMPUTATIONS.

OUR SERVICES

Online Consultation

ONLINE CONSULTATION:

IN THE COVID ERA, WHERE VISITING PUBLIC SPACES HAS BEEN A CAUSE FOR CONCERN,WE PROVIDE ONLINE CONSULTATION TO OUR PATIENTS AT THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BOOK AN ONLINE APPOINTMENT, FILL UP A GOOGLE FORM,MAKE A PAYMENT AND THE DOCTOR WILL GET BACK TO YOU.

WHAT’S MORE, WE CAN HOME DELIVER THE MEDICINES AS WELL. IF YOUR LOCATION IS ACCESSIBLE TO US, WE CAN HAVE YOUR BLOOD SAMPLES COLLECTED AT YOUR PREMISES TOO.IN SHORT, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR ENTIRE EXERCISE COMPLETED, WITHOUT SETTING FOOT OUTSIDE YOUR HOME.

OUR SERVICES

Pharmacy

PHARMACY:

WE HAVE A WELL STOCKED PHARMACY WHICH SELLS ALL DIABETES AND RELATED LIFESTYLE MEDICINES AND HEALTH DRINKS.ON TOP OF THAT,WE ALSO OFFER DISCOUNTS UPTO 15% .AND IT IS OPEN FROM 7 AM TO 9 PM

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Weight Loss & Obesity Management

Post author By arun karthik
Post date October 13, 2023
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Weight Loss & Obesity Management:

Getting more physical activity or exercise is an essential part of obesity treatment: Exercise. People with obesity need to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity. This can help prevent further weight gain or maintain the loss of a modest amount of weight..

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Pregnancy Diabetes

Pregnancy Diabetes:

GESTATIONAL DIABETES OR DIABETES DURING PREGNANCY IS AN UNFORTUNATE, BUT A COMMON OCCURRENCE THESE DAYS , WHICH MAY CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE CHILD’S HEALTH, IF NOT TREATED EARLY.USUALLY IT STARTS AROUND THE 7 TH MONTH OF PREGNANCY,AND IS IDENTIFIED WITH AN OGTT (ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST), SINCE, IN GESTATIONAL DIABETES SYMPTOMS AREN’T PRESENT.THE SUGAR LEVELS DURING THIS TIME NEEDS TO BE UNDER VERY TIGHT CONTROL SO AS TO ENSURE A HEALTHY CHILD.

GESTATIONAL DIABETIC DIET IS EXTREMELY INDIVIDUALISED. WE NOT ONLY NEED TO MANAGE MOTHER’S FOOD QUANTITY, BUT ALSO ENSURE THAT THE CHILD GETS ADEQUATE NUTRITION AS WELL.HOWEVER WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR AGES AND ARE EXPERTS IN THIS TIGHTROPE WALK AND WE DO THIS RATHER GRACEFULLY.AND WHAT’S MORE ,THE MOTHER DOES NOT HAVE TO VISIT US FOR MORE THAN ONCE AND KEEP IN TOUCH DIGITALLY THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY

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Stress Management

STRESS MANAGEMENT:

DID YOU KNOW THAT STRESS IS A MAJOR REASON WHY DIABETES DOES NOT GET CONTROLLED IN MANY PEOPLE?.PEOPLE WITH HIGH STRESS LEVELS CLASSICALLY HAVE A VERY HIGH FASTING BLOOD SUGAR DUE TO SECRETION OF CERTAIN ANTI DIABETIC HORMONES IN THE BODY.

AT DIACARE, A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF MENTAL HEALTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL IS MADE AND NECESSARY CHANGES MADE IN LIFESTYLE AND MEDICINES TO REDUCE THE STRESS AND IN TURN THE SUGAR LEVELS DOWN.

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Hypoglycemia Treatment

HYPOGLYCEMIA(LOW SUGAR) MANAGEMENT:

HYPOGLYCEMIA OR LOW BLOOD SUGAR(I.E A VALUE OF LESS THAN 70 MG/DL) IS ONE OF THE FREQUENT SIDE EFFECTS OF DIABETES MEDICINES.HYPOGLYCEMIA SYMPTOMS / LOW BLOOD SUGAR SYMPTOMS SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED AND CORRECTED ACCORDINGLY.IN ELDERLY PATIENTS IT CAN LEAD TO DIZZINESS AND FALLS WHICH IN TURN CAN CAUSE GRIEVOUS INJURIES.

IN SUCH CASES THE DIABETES MEDICINES WHICH THE PERSON IS TAKING SHOULD BE REDUCED IN SUCH A WAY THAT SUGAR LEVELS DO NOT DROP TOO LOW. AT THE SAME TIME, CARE MUST BE TAKEN NOT TO REDUCE THE MEDICINES TOO MUCH TO CAUSE A HIGH BLOOD SUGAR.

LOW BLOOD SUGAR OR HYPOGLYCEMIA

DIABETIC FOOT DISEASE & DIABETES FOOT CARE IMPORTANCE

DIABETES TREATMENT:

DIABETES PREVENTION:

ONLINE CONSULTATION:

PHARMACY:

Weight Loss & Obesity Management:

Pregnancy Diabetes:

STRESS MANAGEMENT:

HYPOGLYCEMIA(LOW SUGAR) MANAGEMENT:

GET IN TOUCH

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