Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition where the body can’t use glucose properly. The cause of diabetes is unknown – you can’t catch it but it can run in families. There are two types of diabetes Insulin Dependant Diabetes (IDDM) and Non-insulin Dependant Diabetes (NIDDM). People who have diabetes need to pay special attention to their diet. Foods you eat that contain fat or sugar are changed into glucose and pass into your blood. Your pancreas produces insulin, which helps get glucose into the cells of the body where it is used as a source of energy. Without insulin, glucose cannot enter the body’s cells so it builds up in the blood. If you have diabetes, either your pancreas isn’t making enough insulin or the insulin isn’t working properly.
Risks
Diabetes can cause damage to blood vessels and nerves if it is undiagnosed or not controlled. This may affect:
- Eyesight
- Kidneys
- Heart and blood flow
- Feet
- Your ability to fight skin, kidney and other infections.
Most diabetes develops in people who are over 40. People often have diabetes for some time before it is detected. You may be at risk if three or more of the following describe you.
- You are over 40 years.
- You are overweight.
- Someone in your family has diabetes.
- You have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Signs & Symptoms
- Frequent urination.
- Drinking a lot of liquid.
- Tiredness – loss of energy.
- Sickly sweet smelling breath.
- A lot of infections, such as skin (e.g. boils), genital (e.g. thrush ), nail or urinary tract infections.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Blurred or fuzzy vision.
- Wounds that heal slowly.
What Conditions Respond to Acupuncture?
Acupuncture treats a wide variety of disorders. The World Health Organization lists over forty diseases that acupuncture can treat effectively. The following is a partial list of the most common ailments.
Conditions | |
---|---|
Nerve Disorder | Bell’s Palsy (Facial Neuralgia) · Headache · Intercostal Neuralgia · Migraine · Numbness in hand and feet · Parkinson’s Disease · Shingles · Sciatica · Toothpain · Trigeminal Neuralgia |
Motor System Disorder | Back Pain · Bursitis · Herniated Disk · Knee Pain · Neck Pain · Repetitive Motion Injuries · Sprained Ankle · Sports Injuries · Stiff Shoulder · Tempromandibular Disorders · Tennis Elbow · Thoracic Outlet Syndrome · Whip Lash |
Gastro-intestinal Disorder | Anal Fissure · Constipation · Diarrhea · Gastritis · Gastroptosis · Hemorrhoid · Hepatitis · Indigestion · Irritable Bowel Syndrome · Kidney Stones · Stomatitis · Ulcer · Ulcerative Colitis |
Circulatory Disorder | Cold Constitution · Edema · Heart Problems · Heartthrob · High Blood Pressure · Jaundice · Low Blood Pressure |
Endocrine Disorder | Diabetes ·Thyroid Problem · Gout |
Respiratory Disorder | Asthma · Bronchitis ·Common Cold · Coughing · Sore Throat ·Tonsillitis |
Urinary Disorder | Cystitis · Enlarged prostate · Frequent Urination · Impotence · Kidney Inflammation · Mastitis · Male Infertility · Urethritis |
Sensory System Disorder | Deafness · Eczema ·Dermatitis · Dizziness · Eye fatigue/strain · Hayfever & Sinus · Meniere’s Disease · Myopia · Skin Infections · Tinnitus · Vertigo |
Gynecological Disorder | Breech · Cold Constitution ·Dizziness · Endometritis · Endometriosis · Hysteromyoma · Infertility (Acura Fertility Treatment) · Mastopathy · Menopause · Menses · Menstrual Disorder · Morning Sickness (BBC News) |
Pediatric Disorder | Asthma · Bedwetting · Diarrhea · Excessive Night Crying ·Indigestion · Thrush · Weak Constitution |
Other Disorder | Anxiety ·Autonomic Ataxia ·Breathlessness ·Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ·Hair Loss · Hernia · Insomnia · Sleeping Disorder · Multiple Sclerosis · Osteoporosis · Physical Condition Improvement · Psychosomatic Disorder · Quit Smoking · Stress Management ·Weight Control |