When And Why Do You Need Insulin?

Insulin is an essential hormone that is produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps to break down the food into glucose which is then used as a source of energy by the body. The glucose enters each and every cell of the body to provide energy and keep the body functions running. The major role of insulin is to maintain glucose levels in the body. When glucose levels increase in the body, insulin hormone signals the body to store the excess in the liver, which is used intermittently when glucose levels decrease. Now that we understand the importance of insulin for our body, it is inevitable that its deficiency in the body can lead to serious health issues.

Diabetes is a medical condition where the body produces very little insulin or does not produce insulin at all. Diabetes is categorised as Type 1 and Type 2, depending upon the change in function of pancreas.

Type 1 diabetes is a condition that can develop even in adulthood. This is an auto-immune disease where the body does not produce insulin at all or produces very little insulin which is highly insufficient to conduct the function it requires to do. Someone who has type 1 diabetes, has a very weak immune system, causing destruction of insulin producing cells in the pancreas and hence, they have to rely on insulin intake to maintain the glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes is usually contracted later in life and under this medical condition the body is unable to make efficient use of the insulin produced. This is also referred to as insulin resistance. The long-term effect of type 2 diabetes is that the body over produces insulin to keep the glucose levels normal and perform the same function as normal insulin production does. Over a period of time the insulin producing cells exhaust and patients have to depend on insulin intake to keep the body functions running.

Use of Insulin in Diabetes

The major role of insulin is to make the body act like the pancreas is working normally and allow the body to function as a healthy one. Insulin injections are needed to cure both types of diabetes. For patients with type 1 diabetes, insulin intake acts as a supplement, since their pancreas does not produce insulin. For patients with type 2 diabetes, insulin injections are needed to control the glucose levels in the body.

If your blood glucose level is excessively high while you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, the doctor may prescribe you insulin because that immediately brings down the blood sugar levels. The cells of your body that have been constantly working overtime to bring down your blood sugar levels, are saved from draining off. Insulin is not known to cause any adverse side effects because it is just an artificial version of the hormone that the pancreas produces. Also, insulin works much faster than usual medications, and patients who suffer from type 2 diabetes for a longer period of time, become resistant to diabetic medications.

Insulin therapies are prescribed depending on the bodily conditions such as type of diabetes, glucose levels, lifestyle and fluctuations in blood sugar levels. If someone is practicing intermittent fasting, the liver releases the stored glucose. In such cases intermediate-acting insulin is prescribed which enables the body to use the released glucose and prevents sudden spike in the glucose levels. Rapid or short-acting insulin are usually taken immediately after the main meals of the day. They act fast and break down the food into glucose, but work only for about four hours.

Diabetes is a disease that can only be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes physical exercises and a balanced diet. Also, one should avoid consuming excess sugar because this can create an adverse impact on the normal body functions.

Mucormycosis Or Black Fungus Infection- Causes and Symptoms

Mucormycosis or black fungus is a rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. Mucormycetes are present in the environment and they enter the human body either through artificial oxygen support that is given to severe COVID-19 patients or in some cases other environmental factors like use of contaminated water to produce medical oxygen. Use of certain combinations of steroids for treating COVID patients has also emerged to be one prominent reason as to why COVID survivors are complaining of black fungus. Patients with a low-immunity level or have compromising health conditions like diabetes, cancer or HIV, are more prone to the risk of getting caught with this infection.

Currently, this fungal infection has created much havoc nationwide, until much recently this was considered to be rare, but is now showing devastating effects.

Where Does Black Fungus Attack?

Mucormycetes enter the body through nose, mouth or eyes and directly attack the sinus cavities, chest cavities and lungs. If not treated in time, the infection can prove lethal and cause brain damage, ultimately causing demise of the infected. Unhygienic way of delivering oxygen to the patients, provides an entry point to the molds to enter the body. The infection is not contagious and does not spread from one person to another, unlike coronavirus.

Symptoms of Mucormycosis or Black Fungus

Black fungus, until recently, was a rare fungal infection, with only a few cases reported across the globe. But it has now emerged as a new catastrophe, which needs immediate treatment. Black fungus has a very high mortality rate hence, it is important to be cautious and look out for the symptoms, well on time. The infection majorly attacks parts of your face and can cause severe facial deformities. Medically, this is also referred to as “rhino-orbital-cerebral-mucormycosis”. The infection causes acute swelling and inflammation across the sinus passage. Other symptoms one should look out for are:

1. Formation of black crust around the nose: One most prominent symptom of black fungus is swelling and black crust formation around the nasal passage. If left untreated, the infection grows to take a more severe form, causing mutilation of a person’s nose and may even require surgery to fix the jaw bone or any other facial structure.

2. Swelling and Inflammation on cheeks and eyes: We might sometimes ignore any chronic swelling or inflammation around the eyes or cheeks, but in the current scenario, these could be symptoms of black fungus. Any sort of numbness, or inflammation on one side of the face should be immediately attended to. Patients these days are also complaining of necrosis-like symptoms, which could possibly be due to black fungal infection.

3. Chest pain or pulmonary infections: The infection causing molds enter through nasal passage or inhalation and can directly attack the respiratory passage and lungs. The noticeable symptoms would be nosebleeds, nasal blockage, numbness or loss of sensation across parts of the face. This is also referred to as pulmonary mucormycosis.

4. Acute headache: When the black fungus travels to the brain, it causes acute headaches, inflammation around the forehead and redness. This is the most severe stage where any ignorance or lack of treatment could lead to loss of memory, loss of cognitive functions or brain damage.

5. Partial/Complete loss of Vision: Black fungus can also partially or completely damage the vision, if it attacks the retinal nerves. If you experience any sort of redness, irritation or pain in the eye, immediately consult the doctor.

Prevention of Black Fungus

Since the primary cause noted for black fungal infection is unhygienic health conditions, it is important to maintain a strict level of cleanliness, especially if you are a person suffering from health comorbidities. Nasal care and good hygiene are the only ways by which you can keep the infection at bay. India witnesses a large population of diabetic patients, and studies claim that black fungal infection can severely and promptly attack those who have high sugar levels. Thus, it is advised to maintain your sugar levels and be aware of the symptoms, in order to start immediate treatment in case of infection.

7 things to keep in mind when you are monitoring your blood sugar levels

Worried about your abruptly fluctuating sugar levels in your blood, with them majorly rising northwards? Worry not. While the major controlling practices are still in your hands (in terms of changes required in your lifestyle and eating habits), the proper conduction of sugar level tests is also a must to ensure that whether you are going wrong or right in controlling the same.

Nowadays, one can check the sugar levels in his/her at the comfort of his/her home without paying a visit to a clinic or hospital, thanks to a new range of test devices available at all the medical clinics. However, there are some pointers which one must be aware of before conduction of such tests by himself/herself and monitoring the processes and results of them. Following are those pointers:-

• Take proper advice while choosing suitable glucometer – Thanks to innovations in the medical world in the last three decades, one can find whether sugar levels in his/her blood are high or not at the comfort of his/her home. There are many glucometers (a device which shows how much sugar level is there in your blood) available in the market right now. However, one must consult with a doctor or properly research about the right and suitable brand to go for.

• Take proper advice before getting started – All the glucometers have proper guidelines and procedure to use imprinted on their packet or leaflets provided along with them. However, if one is not able to understand the required guidelines through them, it is advisable to consult with a doctor on how to use the device on your own. This has to be insured because if the procedure is carried out wrongly, you won’t be able to get the right and desirable results.

• Clean the point of body where the test has to be conducted – The blood tests are usually carried out with glucometer primarily on fingertips or hands. So before putting the device to its use, it is advisable to thoroughly clean the fingertips and hands with an antiseptic hand wash. If not done so, chances are that the possible dirt accumulated on those points of the test might create hindrance in getting optimum test results.

• Preferably use fingertips for the test – While there are many modern kits through which one can conduct the blood tests on other parts of the body as well, it is always advisable to preferably use fingertips for the purpose. Also, while conducting tests more than once, it is recommended to use different fingertips every time, as using the same finger again and again can injure it, thus increasing pain levels.

• Ensure the lancets are properly sharpened – The lancets are basically the pointed objects provided with the glucometers, which are used to poke the finger resulting in blood to come out of it. Before the test, one must ensure that the lancets are sharp enough without causing any hurt to the finger. Also, it is advisable to use different lancets every time you conduct the test, as repeated use of the same lancet can cause infection. In addition, the expiry date of the lancets should be checked, failing of which can result in improper reading.

• Ensure proper calibration of glucometer – To ensure that you get the closest-to-right reading of sugar levels in your blood, it is advisable to always well calibrate the glucometer before use. This should be a regular practice every time you use the device, and the first-ever calibration should be done at the diagnostic center or medical shop from where you purchased it.

• Keep track of the readings in the record – While conducting and knowing about the results of the test might be a one-time process, it is important to keep a track record of all the readings of every time you conduct the test. Following this procedure will only help to track your progress towards healing. Nowadays, thankfully, many glucometers come equipped with result recorders inbuilt in them. However, if your device doesn’t have this feature, you can maintain the series of results in a logbook.

While following all these steps might seem quite easy, failing any one of these might not get you the accuracy you want in your sugar level test results. So, if you think that you have gone wrong in any one of the above steps, you should consult with a trained endocrinologist for suitable advice regarding this.

Diabetes – Symptoms, treatment and early diagnosis

Among the modern people with ill lifestyle and irregular eating habits, diabetes has become one of the most common ailments in the modern generation. This metabolic disease is responsible for abrupt increase in blood sugar levels, due to which your body might not be able to produce enough insulin by itself, which in turn might damage your kidneys, eyes, nerves or other related organs.

Following are the three different types of diabetes usually found in humans:-

• Type 1 diabetes – It is an autoimmune kind of disease, in which the cells of the pancreas are attacked and destroyed by the weak immune system itself. The pancreas is the part of the human body where insulin is made, the chemical compound responsible for keeping sugar levels of your body under control.

• Type 2 diabetes – It is the most common kind of diabetes, in which the body of the affected person develops a kind of resistance to insulin. Due to this, the sugar level starts increasing abruptly, prominently in the blood.

• Gestational diabetes – This is commonly found only in women, and that too during pregnancy, when the sugar levels in blood starts increasing due to production of hormones which block the formation of insulin. Majorly, placenta (organ that develops in uterus during pregnancy) is responsible for production of the hormones responsible.

Apart from the usual detection through compulsory blood tests, there are some pre-signs which can indicate whether a person is suffering from diabetes or not. Here are those early indications:-

• Increase in hunger – This is usually a common thing among obese people, when they have consistent urge of eating something at frequent intervals. This only increases the cholesterol levels, and in turn, sugar levels as well.

• Increase in thirst – It’s not only the urge of eating something again and again, which is a common sign among people with diabetes. In some cases, if a person feels thirsty on a regular basis and drinks much more water than required or in normal condition, chances are that he/she might have increase sugar levels in his/her body.

• Loss in weight – While weight reduction can be done properly through work out, medication or exercises, but if a person loses a lot of weight abruptly, despite having a regular diet plan, the increase in sugar levels might be responsible for this action.

• Increase in frequency of urination – Since sugar levels increase in case of diabetes, the person affected will have his/her urinary system affected in turn as well. Due to this, the frequency of urine formation and disposal increases as well.

• Not healing of sores and minor wounds – If a person is suffering from diabetes, and his minor wounds or sores are not healing at all completely, it is considered to be one of the clearest indications of diabetes, prominently that of type 2.

• Increase in fatigue – A person suffering from diabetes is unable to perform heavy physical activity on a regular basis, considering the fact that he/she gets tired quite easily. And even in regular activities, he/she might suffer from fatigue much more than the usual levels.

• Blurry vision – It is one of the rarest signs of diabetes, but if a person is suffering from blurriness in his/her vision, further eye-tests and blood tests can confirm the condition of diabetes in him/her.

• Additional symptoms among men – Conditions like erectile dysfunction as well as  a decrease in sex drive and muscle strength are some of the symptoms which can be found only in men suffering from diabetes.

• Additional symptoms among women – Like men, women too have a couple of symptoms of diabetes restricted to them only, like dry and itchy skin and urinary tract infections.

Diabetes can be treated gradually, and it’s a slow process in which the sugar levels in the body are brought down. Following are some of the treatments and medications prescribed for diabetic people:-

• Type 1 diabetes patients – For these people, insulin is the most important medication involved. There are four types of insulin which are fed in the body of the affected person – rapid-acting insulin (lasts for 3-4 hours), short-acting insulin (lasts for 6-8 hours), intermediate-acting insulin (lasts for 12-18 hours) and long-acting insulin (lasts for 24 hours or more).

• Type 2 diabetes patients – The first step for these people is proper control and moderations in their lifestyle, with changes made to their diet and exercise plans. If these actions feel to be lesser than required, medicines like alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, biguanides, DPP-4 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptides, meglitinides, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas and thiazolidinediones are prescribed under various situations and conditions.

• Gestational diabetes patients – For these patients/pregnant women, mild doses of insulin or noteworthy changes in diet and exercise plans need to be carried out. 

All these medications and remedies suggested above should be taken after proper diagnosis, blood tests and advices from trained endocrinologist only.

Overactive and Underactive Thyroid: What Problems Can It Bring?

Thyroid disorders are on a rise in India. While men are still not majorly hit by thyroid disorders, women are twice more likely to get affected. This difference is majorly due to the difference in hormones creation in men and women.

Among all the thyroid disorders, overactive and underactive thyroid are the two major conditions affecting the human body. In this blog, we will guide you through the problems that an overactive and underactive thyroid can lead to. But first, let’s discuss the facts about the thyroid gland and hormones.

The thyroid gland is present in the neck and releases two hormones, i.e. thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These two hormones work towards balancing the body’s metabolic rate, heart function, and digestive function. If imbalanced, these hormones can affect the mood and development of the body.

Specialists suggest that thyroid conditions can be caused due to iodine deficiency, autoimmune diseases, thyroid gland inflammation, or genetic disorders.

After discussing about the thyroid gland and its function, here is a detail of the two most common thyroid disorders.

Underactive Thyroid

Low thyroid & Hypothyroidism are the two common names given to an underactive thyroid. Under this condition, the level of hormones released by the gland falls, depending on the level of drop, reactions on the body are felt.

An underactive thyroid can lead to many other problems for the human body. These are:

1-      Weakness: When the body’s growth and development is affected due to the lack of hormones produced by the thyroid gland, some weakness is bound to be felt. One is likely to feel weak and mild pain in different joints of the body.

2-      Constipation & Slow Metabolism: Thyroid hormones affect metabolism to a great extent. This can lead to slowed movement of stool, leading to constipation.

3-      Gallstones: Stones can develop in the gallbladder due to slow and weakened metabolism. 

4-      Mental Health Issues: Due to hormonal imbalance, a person can feel sad and depressed. An underactive thyroid can make a person feel dull due to excessive weakness.

5-      Menstrual Changes: In women, hormones can lead to an imbalance in the menstrual cycle. Fertility may also be affected due to changes in hormone levels in the body.

Overactive Thyroid

High thyroid & Hyperthyroidism are the two common terms of use for an overactive thyroid. In this condition, the thyroid gland produces too many hormones that cause serious conditions like:

1-      Pregnancy Complications: Having too much thyroid hormone in the body can lead to complications during pregnancy. In serious cases, miscarriage and premature birth can also be the outcomes.

2-      Mood Swings: Flowing with hormones can affect the mood of an individual to a great extent. One may feel angry all the time when flowing with thyroid hormones.

3-      Eye Problems: While this may seem unusual, an overactive thyroid that produces too many hormones can lead to irritation in the eye or double vision.

4-      Heart Health: Chest pain and abnormal heart rhythms can affect an individual diagnosed with an overactive thyroid to a great extent.

5-      Blood Pressure: In patients with an overactive thyroid increase in heart contractions and high systolic pressure.

The thyroid gland can lead to many critical medical conditions. These conditions have affected many people in India and around the globe. At Medipulse Hospital in Jodhpur, our specialists like  Endocrinologist Dr Tuhin Dubey can help in early diagnosis of the thyroid condition. Ranked as the top private hospital in Jodhpur, at Medipulse Hospital we have all the latest technology to treat different thyroid conditions. Visit the hospital today to get tested for symptoms!

The thyroid gland is present in the neck and releases two hormones, i.e. thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These two hormones work towards balancing the body’s metabolic rate, heart function, and digestive function. If imbalanced, these hormones can affect the mood and development of the body.

Here’s What the Experts Say about the Link between Thyroid and Cholesterol

For people who have been suffering problems like obesity, diabetes, hormonal fluctuations, etc., the terms "Thyroid" and "Cholesterol" may seem a little too familiar. Doctors often tell patients about the importance of keeping a check on both of these to stay healthy. Thyroid and cholesterol may be completely different from each other, but the deep connection between these 2 is often unexplored or underrated in its importance.

Before exploring the connection, one must know the basics of what thyroid is and what is the role of cholesterol in a person’s body.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is the fuel that is present in every cell of the body, which is used to produce the various enzymes and hormones that are essential for the body’s functioning. In the bloodstream, cholesterol can be divided into 2 categories:

●       HDL or High-Density Cholesterol is healthy for the heart as it helps in the removal of excess cholesterol.

●       LDL or Low-Density Cholesterol is unhealthy for the heart as it can clog the arteries through accumulation. This results in blockages, heart attacks, and strokes.

What is Thyroid?

A butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, the thyroid produces hormones that are essential in regularising the metabolism. Basically, it helps in the conversion of food and oxygen into useful energy, which is crucial to the functioning of organs, including brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. The pituitary gland controls the thyroid, which directs the release of thyroid hormones on sensing low levels of the same in the body.

Conditions of the Thyroid

The thyroid can be too little or too many hormones in some cases, both of which are harmful conditions for the body.

●       Hypothyroidism, an under active thyroid, or the condition of producing too little hormones makes a person feel sluggish, cold, tired, or in pain.

●       Hyperthyroidism, overactive thyroid, or the condition of producing more hormones than needed gives the person an elevated heart rate. This is often what makes a person shaky and nervous.

Connection Between Thyroid and Cholesterol

Thyroid hormones are an important part of the mechanism that makes the good cholesterol and gets rid of the bad cholesterol that the body doesn’t need. The reaction that the body gives under different conditions of Thyroid is different.

●       For hypothyroidism, the body becomes unable or incapable of removing the excess of LDL, which results in sudden weight gain and other problems related to obesity, including heart diseases, diabetes, and even cancer. It even results in a lowered heart rate and lethargy.

●       With hyperthyroidism, the effects are exactly the opposite. When there is too much breakdown of cholesterol, the levels get abnormally low, causing sudden weight loss. This increases heartbeat, causing sensitivity to heat, nervousness, incessant shaking, and trouble in sleep. Hyperthyroidism also increases the frequency of bowel movements.

If you have any of the symptoms that relate to an issue of the Thyroid, the better advice will be to get the levels of the Thyroid hormones, and cholesterol checked out through a lipid profile. This will help you gauge the condition better. For a full body checkup in Jodhpur, consider the best hospital in town, Medipulse, where you can have state of the art facilities and great service, alongside attractive packages for you and your family.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetic Patients

Inside the human body, the various systems that keep a person alive are interdependent on each other to carry out their functions. But quite often, we witness situations that cause the failure or shortcoming of one of these organs, causing the other to fail as well. This concept sits at the very core of Diabetes, a condition in which the body’s ability to maintain glucose levels (or blood sugar levels) fails.

Diabetes is caused when the body cannot make enough insulin or does not make optimal use of available insulin, a hormone that turns glucose into usable energy for the cells of the human body. As dangerous as diabetes may seem for the body, it opens the doors of a patient’s body to something much worse; cardiovascular diseases.

Are Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases Related?

Yes, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases are related in more profound ways. Heart diseases are caused by narrowing or blockage of blood vessels in essential regions of the heart and chest cavity. If it gets delayed, it leads to heart attacks, chest pains, and strokes. With blood glucose levels rising due to diabetes, the damage to blood vessels and nerves goes into hyperdrive. The longer a person has had diabetes, the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases increase rapidly.

Consider these stats from around the world:

●       68% of diabetic patients above the age of 65 die because of some form of heart disease, out of which, about 16% die of stroke.

●       Diabetic adults are 200% to 400% more likely to contract heart diseases than non-diabetic adults.

●       A premier world organization for cardiac health considers diabetes as one of the top 7 causes or factors of Cardiovascular diseases.

Why People With Diabetes Have Higher Risk of Heart Diseases?

Diabetes is a condition that can significantly affect the overall health of a person's heart and circulatory system if it’s in full swing. Even though it can be controlled to the limit that it can become almost dormant, however, its very nature is quite dangerous for other vital organs of our body. Excessive blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes accelerate the damage to the heart in the following way.

●       High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes, collaboratively, provide severe damage to the heart. This is simply because hypertension puts abnormally high pressure on the walls of the blood vessels, and diabetes works to damage the walls of the vessels.

●       Bad Lipid Profile: Diabetes instantly causes the level of bad cholesterol (LDL), and triglycerides shoot up, while the good cholesterol (HDL) levels take a sudden dip. These conditions perfectly replicate the early symptoms of heart diseases.

●       Obesity: Insulin resistance has a strong link to obesity in humans, which in turn also is one of the major contributing factors in the development of heart diseases.

●       Sedentary Lifestyle: One of the major risk factors for both diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, is physical inactivity. With proper and timely exercising, a person can reduce the chances, delay, and even prevent conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.

●       Abnormal (High) Blood Sugar Levels: Diabetes increases blood sugar level to dangerous levels, which in turn, harm the heart and kidneys to irreparable extents.

●       Smoking: Smoking, in general, is a risk factor for the human body, especially to diabetic patients. It makes our body resistant to insulin, leading to higher blood sugar level. Such dangerous sugar level in our body warrants extreme problems for many organs, including the heart.

How to Stop Diabetes From Giving You a Heart Attack?

The simplest way is to manage the ABCSs in a person.

●       A for A1C test: the A1C test shows the average blood sugar levels over the last 3 months, which is a different measure than the daily sugar level checks. The goal is to keep this level below 7 percent.

●       B for Blood Pressure: A high blood pressure makes the person’s heart work harder to keep the blood pumping, which can harm a lot of other organs, alongside the blood vessels.

●       C for Cholesterol: Reducing bad cholesterol levels and getting more good cholesterol in the system will keep the blood vessels healthy.

●       S for Stress and Smoking: Smoking and Stress are the two biggest risk and contributing factors in taking a person’s diabetes to cardiovascular disease levels.

Diabetes is definitely a condition that can escalate even the simplest of problems to catastrophic levels. That is why, for even the simplest of symptoms, make sure that you take care of your cardiac health by visiting the best heart specialist hospital in Jodhpur, Medipulse. With the team of expert doctors always monitoring the situations, Medipulse is where you can get the best care for your heart. Visit now for a consultation and to secure your heart better.