Diabetic Neuropathies - What Are They?

Neuropathies

Diabetic neuropathies are nerve disorders caused by diabetes. People with diabetes can develop nerve damage throughout their body. Some people with nerve damage have no symptoms. Others may have symptoms such as pain, tingling, or numbness (loss of feeling) in the hands, arms, feet and legs.

Nerve problems can occur in every organ system, including the digestive tract, heart and sex organs.

The latest research indicates that about 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have some form of neuropathy. People with diabetes can develop nerve problems at any time, but risk rises with age and longer duration of diabetes.

The highest rate of neuropathy are among people who have had diabetes for at least 25 years. Diabetic neuropathies appear more common in people who have problems controlling their blood glucose, also called blood sugar, as well as those with high levels of blood fat, blood pressure and those who are overweight.

Statistics - When is Diabetic News Believable?

Statistics - Data Supported or Opinion

Calling all folks who like to play bingo. Calling all folks who like to gamble now and then. Calling all people who believe everything they read in the news sources about new diabetes research as the gospel truth. If you do, you have just been scammed!

Jim, get serious. These folks want to believe. They have diabetes, don't like it and hang on every bit of positive news they can find. Okay, lets look at "odds" that play into research and believable results.

Take a quarter and flip it five times in a row. Its either going to be heads or tails each time. Everybody has done this at least once in their lives. You know, tonight you do the dishes. Heads I do them, tails you do them!

But, suppose you were going to Las Vegas for the weekend to enjoy a little "R&R." If you flipped that quarter five times and came up with five heads in a row, and you didn't know better, in Las Vegas you bet "heads" every-time in a game....you would lose your shirt. The "Odds" in coin flipping is 50/50. The secret in odds, that you know, is the more trials(times you flipped the coin)the closer the results would be to 50/50.

In research, if you read an article where the experiment consisted of ten trials, the result has no validity. Its like getting five heads in coin flipping. Whatever that researcher says is nothing but an "opinion" and statistically has no validity.

In statistics, the number of trials is very important to support the results an investigator publishes. In order to state a 90% certainty for an experiment a very large number of trials must be run. Rarely does an investigator, seeking approval from the reading public, run a significant number of trials to validate what he is saying.

News leaked to the Press or TV, to gain exposure for a scientist, is not believable news unless backed up by statistics that are credible. Later, if other investigators back up the results of the research, you now have believable news.

A fine point to remember! The news you read about diabetes, in the future, may be statistically correct when more data becomes available. Until that data becomes available and is supported by other researchers the results are just an unsubstantiated opinion.

Major publications, like The New England Journal of Medicine, have strict parameters before an article is accepted for publication. The source of the news is important too.

When is news believable news? Now you have a simplistic rule of thumb what research to put into a "circular file" and what research to become excited about.

If You Can Deduct Medical Expenses - Here are Possibilities for Diabetics

Flexible Spending Plan - Section 125 Cafeteria Plan

Please Check with your Accountant or CPA for a complete list of deductible expenses for Diabetics. This list of deductions are meant to alert you to possibilities of medical expense deductions if you file a 1040 and itemize your medical deductions.

Accepted Over-The-Counter Items

Diabetic Lancets

Diabetic Supplies

Diabetic Test Strips

Glucose Meters

Deductible Expenses In curred for Services by Medical Professionals

Chiropractors Fees

The Cost of Diagnostic Services

Eye examinations related to Diabetes

Laboratory Fees

Optometrists Fees

Osteopaths Fees

Physicians Fees

The Cost of Sexual Inadequacy treatment conducted by Psychiatrists at

a Hospital related to diabetes.

Specialists Fees like a Diabetologist

Surgeons Fees

Deductible expenses Incurred for Services by Persons Other than Medical Professionals

The Cost of a Guide to Assist a Blind Person walking to School

Fees for participation in a Weight Loss Program prescribed by a Doctor for the treatment of Obesity in a Diabetic.

Deductible Capital Expenses

The Cost of Artificial Limbs for a Diabetic Amputee

The Cost of an Autoette (a small three wheeled vehicle) or wheelchair used primarily to alleviate illness.

The Excess Cost of Braille Books and Magazines bought for a visually impaired person over the cost of Regular Printed Editions.

The Cost of Educational Devices for a Child going blind form Diabetes.

The Cost of Eye Glasses

The Cost of a Leader Dog and Training for a Blind Person

The Cost of a Dog trained to detect a persons Blood Sugar Level

Deductible Expenses Incurred for Medicine, Special Foods

The Cost of Prescription Drugs

The Cost of Insulin

The Cost of Vitamins prescribed by a Doctor for treating Disease

The Cost of Special Low or No Sugar Food (Check on Latest IRS Rulings)

Deductible Expenses Incurred for Care by Hospitals and Other Institutions

Amounts paid for In-Patient Hospital Care

Deductible Educational Expenses

The Cost of Attending a Special School that Teaches Braille or Lip Reading.

Deductible Transportation Expenses

Car expenses incurred to obtain Medical Care

The Rental Cost of a Car that is Essential to obtaining Medical Care and is used primarily for that purpose.

See your CPA or Accountant for other Transportation Expenses allowed

Deductible Meal and Lodging Expenses

Meals and Lodging at a Hospital in connection with In-Patient Hospital Care.

See your CPA or Accountant for other Transportation Expenses

Sugar - Why is it Important

Sugar in Metabolism

Lets look at the answer first. It makes possible the manufacture of ATP in each and every living cell and, for diabetics, the use of the glucose for cellular metabolism.

From my point of view, the whole purpose of our body systems is to make a perfect environment for a biological enzyme. (catalyst, in inorganic chemistry)

All of the chemical reactions in our living bodies occur at 98.6 degrees F. Remember in HS Chemistry how we used to heat up test tubes of reactants, in the presence of a catalyst, to very high temperatures until something significant happened? Well, not too many were interested in Science back then but the result is - yes!

A biological enzyme has a component (part) that is very sensitive to the following partial list of things that cancel its ability to make a chemical reaction take place unless regulated perfectly by your body systems. This regulation is called homeostasis.

Temperature

pH

Concentration of electrolytes

Presence of oxygen

Food - sugars, fats and proteins

Ridding the body of waste.

Lets see, from this basic short list, what we our body systems do to make a perfect environment for an enzyme to function.

Temperature:

If the temperature varies a few degrees upward or downward from 98.6 degrees F or 37 degrees C the shape of the biological enzyme changes. The word to describe this change is denaturization. Basically, the enzyme can no longer catalyze the chemical reaction it was targeted to because its specific shape was altered.

A biological enzyme is specific for a certain step in a chemical reaction. If it is changed, in any way, it can no longer carry out its function. 

If you want to see denaturization happen, to a protein, a component of enzymes in a living system, go fry an egg. Before you fry the egg you break it open and the contents appear in a frying pan. The clear liquid surrounding the yellow yolk is a protein called albumin. Notice its physical properties observable to the human eye. The albumin, before heating, is a liquid and it is clear. When you heat the egg in the frying pan the physical appearance of the albumin changes. It is now white (it no longer appears transparent) and it changed from a liquid to a solid. It was denatured by the heat.

Why does life flourish on our wonderful planet? Water resists changes in temperature. It takes a formidable amount of heat energy gain or loss to change the temperature of water in our body. Isn't that great to have a drink of water. It is the perfect solvent of everything that is us! A biological enzyme lasts for a long time in our bodies. 

Sometimes we become infected with "bugs" , known as bacteria and/or viruses. They have a very fragile existence and small changes in temperature affect them sooner than our cells. Thats why we have a fever when we get sick. The body is making the bacteria's existence hard, if not impossible. If the body temperature does not do the job our body become vulnerable. Thats when you must see a doctor as quickly as possible.

Simple sugar, like glucose, is the number one ingredient each and every cell in your body uses to make ATP. The ATP makes its possible for you to live properly. Thats why insulin is necessary to make it possible for all your cells to take up glucose for cellular metabolism.

See how important simple sugar is for you and insulins proper regulation is to making glucose uptake available for your cells!