Diabetes and obesity both have the dubious distinction of becoming an epidemic in the Western world, affecting both old and young.  Their closest relationships are with the Western diet and lifestyle, and with each other.

Modern medicine has recently advised that possession of a waistline measuring 40 inches or more is a definition of obesity.  Still more disquieting for the overweight person is the suggestion that the body shape that includes a large tummy is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.

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Diabetes is a condition that needs care and monitoring to ensure you stay in the best possible health, but it should not be allowed to stop you living your life you way you want.  Diabetics can do nearly all the things non diabetics can, as long as they take a little extra care of themselves along the way and do a little forward planning to make sure they have everything they need.

Many diabetics avoid travel by taking fewer holidays because of the complications going away from home, and away from their normal schedule can cause.  However, you should not have to miss all the fun and holidays others enjoy, when a little care can make joining in easy.

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A urinary tract infection, also known as a UTI, is a disease that affects several people across different nations regardless of age, gender or race. Despite this fact, there are several factors that make certain individuals more likely to have UTIs than others. Both women and diabetic patients have higher risks of developing urinary tract infections. Moreover, pregnant women who also have diabetes are perhaps the type of individual most likely to have a UTI. In addition to this, as opposed to women who do not have diabetes, female diabetic patients are more likely to have urinary tract infections after menopause. In a study conducted by the University of Washington in Seattle, it was found that the likelihood of urinary tract infections to occur among diabetic women was 80 percent higher compared to others. More unfortunate news is that, aside from experiencing more severe cases of UTIs, this disease also appears to be more recurrent among diabetic individuals than those who are not.

According to healthcare professionals, the glucose content present in the urine of a diabetic individual serves as a breeding ground for certain types of bacteria as soon as it enters the patient’s bladder. Pyelonephritis (a rare yet serious type of urinary tract infection), abscesses and widespread infections along with bladder wall inflammation are often seen in diabetic patients.

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Aside from preparing for the long term complications of diabetes mellitus, patients should also look out for the short-term consequences that are caused by this disease. This is because these effects, despite affecting the patient only for a short time, may trigger other complications that may cause discomfort to the diabetic. However, the individual might or might not experience all the short-term complications. Some of these short-term conditions include hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis. Patients suffering from these conditions must be given immediate proper medical attention or be brought to a hospital to avoid further unwanted complications. The said short-term diabetes complications can be very serious and may even cause death to the patient.

Hyperglycemia, also known in non-technical language as high blood sugar, occurs when the amount of glucose in the patient’s blood stream exceeds the level considered safe for a healthy individual. When the diabetic’s blood glucose levels reach 10+ mmol / l (180 mg / dl), they must be immediately given appropriate treatments or medications; otherwise, this condition may, in some cases, be fatal if not treated. Usually, symptoms of this condition will not be that noticeable unless the level of glucose in the patient’s blood reaches 15 – 20 mmol / l (270 – 360 mg / dl). Hyperglycemia, if it goes undetected for a longer period, can cause organ damage to the patient, especially when the amount of blood sugar exceeds 7 mmol / l (125 mg / dl). This is why the diabetic needs to monitor his or her own blood sugar level from time to time, because if they wait for the symptoms of hyperglycemia, it might already be too late.

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It always seems to be that foods, which are good for you, are not your favorites, but who could say no to a bowl of luscious ripe strawberries? Now this scrumptious superfood  has been identified as a health aid for diabetics, lessening the risk of developing the serious complications this disease can bring.

You should eat 37 of them a day, says the report published by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, but how hard could that be?

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