Diabetes

[JesseFrank]

I get the impression that quite a few members on this forum are diabetics. It seems that in Thailand diabetes is an important cause of death.

My believe is that nobody just walks into a doctors cabinet and asks to be tested for diabetes without a reason .

So my question is, what are the symptoms that indicates that you may suffer from diabetes.

[AyG]

Frequent urination. Feeling thirsty much of the time. Ants attracted to your urine.

However, you usually only get these symptoms when the disease has progressed quite a way. I suspect it's much more usual for the condition to be picked up during a regular medical screening.

I was surprised to find that diabetes is a leading cause of premature death in Thailand - 3rd after stroke and coronary heart disease. (Source: http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/country-health-profile/thailand). I suspect this is attributable to poor diagnosis/management of the condition. In the United States it ranks seventh.

Edit: Typo

Edited January 21, 2014 by AyG

[JesseFrank]

Frequent urination. Feeling thirsty much of the time. Ants attracted to your urine.

However, you usually only get these symptoms when the disease has progressed quite a way. I suspect it's much more usual for the condition to be picked up during a regular medical screening.

I was surprised to find that diabetes is a leading cause of premature death in Thailand - 3rd after stroke and coronary heart disease. (Source: http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/country-health-profile/thailand). I suspect this is attributable to poor diagnosis/management of the condition. In the United States it ranks seventh.

Edit: Typo

Thanks for your explanation, and no I don't have any of those symptoms.

Reason I asked was that I have sometimes issues with dizziness when looking up, which most probably cause by high or low blood pressure, but I'm not the kind that want to visit a doctor for every minor issue.

I have had this dizziness symptoms about a year ago, and they went away from itself, and for the past few weeks they have returned though not to the same level as last year.

[AyG]

Reason I asked was that I have sometimes issues with dizziness when looking up, which most probably cause by high or low blood pressure, but I'm not the kind that want to visit a doctor for every minor issue.

I think unlikely to be high or low blood pressure. High blood pressure is sometimes called "The Silent Killer" because it doesn't have any overt symptoms. With low blood pressure you might experience dizziness on getting out of bed or standing up - not when simply looking up. More likely in my opinion is some sort of inner ear problem - possibly Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo which is quite common. If it is that, it's eminently curable by manipulation - no need for drugs. Best to get it checked out in any case to make sure it's nothing more serious.

[robblok]

If you worry about diabetes its quite cheap to go to a clinic in the morning and let them draw some blood for testing. Its not expensive and its also good to know if your pre diabetic.. at that point you can still help yourself. Doctors are not only there for when your ill.. some tests like this one can be done to see if you are at risk.

I take some other blood tests too at times to check if things are still ok.

2 years ago i found out that i was at risk for diabetic (still in the safe zone but high) I changed a few things now totally risk free from that. Thing is if you test at risk you should change your diet.

[crazykopite]

I take a trip to my Chinese / Thai doctor once a year and have the full works cost 300 baht I hope it continues for many more years to come my next visit is next month but as I feel no different from last year I hope his message will be the same " See you again next year " '!!!!!!!!!

[AyG]

I take a trip to my Chinese / Thai doctor once a year and have the full works cost 300 baht I hope it continues for many more years to come my next visit is next month but as I feel no different from last year I hope his message will be the same " See you again next year " '!!!!!!!!!

There's no way you could have "the full works" for just 300 Baht. Even the reagents required for the most basic of blood tests cost more than that. Is the a zero or two missing from that figure.

[khrab]

.

Check the HbA1c!

This can tell your glucose level over the last 3 month. The acctual level goes up and down depending on eating and exercise/working.

[Bigfarang1948]

Frequent urination. Feeling thirsty much of the time. Ants attracted to your urine.

However, you usually only get these symptoms when the disease has progressed quite a way. I suspect it's much more usual for the condition to be picked up during a regular medical screening.

I was surprised to find that diabetes is a leading cause of premature death in Thailand - 3rd after stroke and coronary heart disease. (Source: http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/country-health-profile/thailand). I suspect this is attributable to poor diagnosis/management of the condition. In the United States it ranks seventh.

Edit: Typo

Ants attracted to your urine??? How the heck are you gonna know; leave a piddle on the floor?? Now there is one I did not read on Web Md, which will give the Farangs all the information they need to about diabetes. If you are still concerned, you need a fasting blood sugar test done at a good doctor's office first of all.

Good luck and be sure to let me know how the urine test works out for you.....

[chiang mai]

Often the symptoms are not obvious, unexplained weight gain is one, increased appetite is another, perhaps the most common is feeling tired directly after eating a meal heavy in refined carbohydrates. But it's cheap and easy enough to check, a simple blood test or even a home testing device works well, if you test borderline or pre-diabetic in a test be certain to do a second and third consecutive daily test to confirm your status since blood glucose levels fluctuate in waves.

[Topah]

It can be a big step for many to go to the doctor and do medical check up. I suggest this for under 40 years old people already. There might be things building up which can be prevented before it is too late. I did a check couple months ago. Blood, urine, ultrasound, blood pressure etc. Doctor gave me good tips to keep living more healthy life. While you are getting older things are not getting any better anymore without exercise and good diet. Go and check yourself.

[PaulDee]

You might check out these two web sites. The first will tell you

everything you wanted to know about diabetes; the second will

guide you through your symptoms and perhaps help you determine

the cause of your symptoms.

http://www.realage.com/information-on-diabetes/diabetes?src=edit&chan=tip&con=tip&click=p3

http://www.medicinenet.com/symptoms_and_signs/article.htm#introView

[mesquite]

Type 1 diabetes is what children or young adults get and symptoms include loss of weight, being thirsty.

Type 2 diabetes is what adults usually get. It's tied to obesity quite often. There are usually no symptoms until the disease has progressed.

Like the post above said, get your HbA1c tested. Also a fasting blood glucose.

Edited January 21, 2014 by mesquite

[chiang mai]

And some additional reading:

http://www.possibility.com/diabetes/#dpad

[Halion]

Blood glucose level is a relatively simple test however it does require overnight fasting. Nil by mouth from around 9pm.

Symptoms vary but the predominance is constant thirst, frequent urination ,dizziness and lack of energy or lethargy and slow healing for minor cuts and scrapes.

I you go in for a test without fasting the results will not be conclusive.

[srn89]

Just reading the responses to the article, WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP, my personal experience was,

1.Lack of energy, sitting and not wanting to go outside and do anything.

2. Frequent visiting of the toilet to urinate.

3. Continuously thirsty, drinking in excessive quantities ( no not alcohol ) hence more toilet visits.

4. Loss of appetite and lack of taste.

Recommend you visit a doctor early in the morning without having had anything to eat or drink to test your blood sugar level, if a problem purchase a Glucose testing kit and test yourself each morning until you find the acceptable level of pills that you require to control your blood sugar level, again test must be done prior to any eating or drinking.

Accu check glucose testers are available in Thailand although a lot more expensive to purchase than the u.k. that applies to the test strips also.

[chiang mai]

The US says common symptoms of diabetes are:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry - even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss - even though you are eating more (type 1)
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/symptoms/

The UK says The main symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes include:

• passing urine more often than usual, especially at night
• increased thirst
• extreme tiredness
• unexplained weight loss
• genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
• slow healing of cuts and wounds
• blurred vision

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/What-is-diabetes/Diabetes-Symptoms/

Whilst Australia says this:

• Being excessively thirsty
• Passing more urine
• Feeling tired and lethargic
• Always feeling hungry
• Having cuts that heal slowly
• Itching, skin infections
• Blurred vision
• Gradually putting on weight
• Mood swings
• Headaches
• Feeling dizzy
• Leg cramps

http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/Understanding-Diabetes/What-is-Diabetes/Type-2-Diabetes/

The Australian version gets my vote for being complete. Note: not all patients experience all the symptoms, mine only included weight gain, leg cramps and tiredness.

Edited January 21, 2014 by chiang mai

[mausplan]

It is also important to note that stress is a big factor and that diabetes is not a death sentence , People do manage to reverse it or stabilise it with exercise and diet. Thyroid problems are often tied in as well, all comes from the same basic source too fat too little exercise.

[prk888]

I have type 2 and some good sensible answers given here. Do your own research via google as well. Some good inexpensive clinics around in Pattaya area for blood testing (see other threads on this too)

[JesseFrank]

Thanks all for your contributions to this thread, I've yet only gone quickly over the posts, but it seems there is a load of good information posted.

So far the only symptoms I can detect is dizziness, but as I said I had this last year more severe and the current issue is slowly disappearing already, and slowly healing cuts. But the latter can also be because i can't stop peeling of the crust.

I will read through all the posts, and posted links, during tonight and keep a close eye on the symptoms posted. If I feel that i'm at risk I will have a test performed right away, otherwise it will be for my next visit to the local government hospital.

Thanks again for the useful info provided.

[ableguy]

Reason I asked was that I have sometimes issues with dizziness when looking up, which most probably cause by high or low blood pressure, but I'm not the kind that want to visit a doctor for every minor issue.

I think unlikely to be high or low blood pressure. High blood pressure is sometimes called "The Silent Killer" because it doesn't have any overt symptoms. With low blood pressure you might experience dizziness on getting out of bed or standing up - not when simply looking up. More likely in my opinion is some sort of inner ear problem - possibly Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo which is quite common. If it is that, it's eminently curable by manipulation - no need for drugs. Best to get it checked out in any case to make sure it's nothing more serious.

Yes sounds like positional vertigo, had it myself just comes and goes but not often.

[JesseFrank]

Maybe I should add a question to the thread.

What, if any, is the primary cause for getting diabetes. Is it inheritable or is it people who eat too much sugar or too much carbohydrates that are sensitive to it or are it completely different reasons why one can be diabetic.

[Overcome]

Here is a recent article on diabetes in Thailand - the third largest cause of death in Thailand in 2011 responsible for nearly 7% of total deaths (the global average is around 3%). http://inversionpoint.com/diabetes-in-thailand-statistics/

Another related article covers the top 20 causes of death in Thailand and notes that in the case of 8 out of these 20 the World Health Organisation singles out Thailand for an official 'Poor Performance' with the country being in the bottom 10% (sometimes in the bottom 5%) of all countries worldwide. The 8 really bad ones are Diabetes, Road Traffic Accidents, Liver Disease, Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer, Kidney Disease, Falls and Drownings. It's a sobering fact that all of these causes of death could be lowered dramatically through quite simple and proven initiatives, and the bottom line is tens of thousands of people die each year in Thailand (let alone those who don't die but are very sick) that don't need to http://inversionpoint.com/thailand-causes-of-death/

[mrfaroukh]

The best thing you can do is to go to clinic or hospital and take a Fast Diabetes test in the morning. Remember you should not eat anything for 12 hours before the test. They will take your blood test and then either they give you two glasses of water with lots of sugar in it or they ask you to go and eat your breakfast and then wait for 2 hours. They will take new test after exactly 2 hours.

Some signs are like you pie often at night, get thirsty etc. Just take the damn test.

To get well watch your diet, walk for at least 30-60 minutes a day.

[chiang mai]

The best thing you can do is to go to clinic or hospital and take a Fast Diabetes test in the morning. Remember you should not eat anything for 12 hours before the test. They will take your blood test and then either they give you two glasses of water with lots of sugar in it or they ask you to go and eat your breakfast and then wait for 2 hours. They will take new test after exactly 2 hours.

Some signs are like you pie often at night, get thirsty etc. Just take the dam_n test.

To get well watch your diet, walk for at least 30-60 minutes a day.

You're talking about two different things here, by "Fast Test" you mean a test after having fasted for ten hours - the test involving sugar etc is an OGT or Oral Glucose Test which I wouldn't recommend since it's a test that causes damage, an A1C wil do equally as well if not better.

For the OP - you asked about the cause of diabetes: there are two primary reasons, one is that our bodies don't produce enough insulin and secondly, that our bodies become intolerant of insulin.Based on when the problem strikes and its severity determines whether the diabetes is classified as Type I or Type II, medical science doesn't fully understand why it happens but does know how to control Type II which is what most of get. One thing we do know is that people who eat too much and gain weight run a very real risk of gathering fat around the liver and the pancreas which inhibits the ability of those organs to function, by dieting you can eliminate that fat and allow the organs to function more normally. The question is whether the person can do it in time for it to be beneficial and before all the insulin receptors/producers have die and cannot regenerate.

Edited January 21, 2014 by chiang mai

[CTO]

In the village every 6 months a mobile health van arrives, everyone (including me and my mum) get tested for basic's, heart, blood pressure and diabetes, government taking it seriously in our rural area, as the diet has changed a lot since I first came to the village 14 years ago

[GOLDBUGGY]

Frequent urination. Feeling thirsty much of the time. Ants attracted to your urine.

However, you usually only get these symptoms when the disease has progressed quite a way. I suspect it's much more usual for the condition to be picked up during a regular medical screening.

I was surprised to find that diabetes is a leading cause of premature death in Thailand - 3rd after stroke and coronary heart disease. (Source: http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/country-health-profile/thailand). I suspect this is attributable to poor diagnosis/management of the condition. In the United States it ranks seventh.

Edit: Typo

Ants attracted to your urine??? How the heck are you gonna know; leave a piddle on the floor?? Now there is one I did not read on Web Md, which will give the Farangs all the information they need to about diabetes. If you are still concerned, you need a fasting blood sugar test done at a good doctor's office first of all.

Good luck and be sure to let me know how the urine test works out for you.....

I know this Ant Post may seem a little weird, but this guy knows what he is talking about. Before Modern Medicine this is how Diabetes was discovered, or should I say diagnosed, and the only way. Back then, they first took Two Urine Samples of which one was known not to be Diabetic, and other one unknown. Yes, they then placed both piddles outside near ants to see there reaction. If you were Diabetic the Ants were attracted to your Urine, while no Ants were attracted to the other sample.

This is because when you have Diabetes you pass sugar in your Urine (thus why the frequency to going to the toilet so often) which these Ants are attracted to. Thirsty, because you do go to the toilet so often and you displace a lot of water, along with the sugar. If you are not Diabetic, you don't pass any sugar this way as it is turned into energy in your body. Or like in my body, Potential Energy... (Fat). Which also just proves Ants don't like our Human Peep-pee to drink anymore then we do. But Love Sugar...like us!

I can't speak for this Poster and don't want to. But I see his point here. Since the Original Poster was asking the question how he can tell if he has Diabetes, but doesn't want to go see a doctor for Blood Tests or Urine Samples, for whatever reason, then his point was a valid one and was a good answer. As he could preform this test right away, at home, and for free. But might need a couple of Beers first to get him ready for the needed Urine Sample.

This test worked for centuries and was the only way that one could tell that they had Diabetes way back then. So since it worked then, and for two thousand years, I don't see any reason why it would not work today. Do You? Although I agreed it is best to go to a doctor, and it might be a little difficult to convince the Mrs. to Pee-pee in a small cup or bottle, as she will think you are either joking or crazy. But if it is for a good cause, and she is like my wife, she will do it for you.

[chiang mai]

Even more odd is that doctors in medieval times would taste the urine to see if the patient suffered from "sweet pee".

[HerbalEd]

Frequent urination. Feeling thirsty much of the time. Ants attracted to your urine.

However, you usually only get these symptoms when the disease has progressed quite a way. I suspect it's much more usual for the condition to be picked up during a regular medical screening.

I was surprised to find that diabetes is a leading cause of premature death in Thailand - 3rd after stroke and coronary heart disease. (Source: http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/country-health-profile/thailand). I suspect this is attributable to poor diagnosis/management of the condition. In the United States it ranks seventh.

Edit: Typo

Thanks for your explanation, and no I don't have any of those symptoms.

Reason I asked was that I have sometimes issues with dizziness when looking up, which most probably cause by high or low blood pressure, but I'm not the kind that want to visit a doctor for every minor issue.

I have had this dizziness symptoms about a year ago, and they went away from itself, and for the past few weeks they have returned though not to the same level as last year.

Dizziness can be a sign of many problems (e.g., brain tumors, high or low blood pressure, etc., etc.) ... not exactly "minor issue." It's rather silly not to see a doctor about your condition ... and down right stupid if you have a continually progressing disease that could be treated now. Grow up and see a doctor.

[HerbalEd]

There this great thing called Google. Just go there and type into the search box "symptoms of diabetes" and you'll finds lots of reliable info from medical professionals ... a much better source of medical info than tv.com.