Author Archives: Drmaxud

High blood pressure,causes AND treatment


High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or hypertension).
The cause of hypertension is often not known. In many cases, it is the result of an underlying condition.

Doctors call high blood pressure that is not due to another condition or disease primary or essential hypertension.

If an underlying condition is the cause of increasing blood pressure, doctors call this secondary hypertension.

Primary hypertension can result from multiple factors, including:

blood plasma volume
hormone activity in people who manage blood volume and pressure using medication
environmental factors, such as stress and lack of exercise
Secondary hypertension has specific causes and is a complication of another health problem.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common cause of high blood pressure, as the kidneys no longer filter out fluid. This excess fluid leads to hypertension.

Conditions that can lead to hypertension include:

diabetes, due to kidney problems
pregnancy
sleep apnea
obesity

Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. It can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sometimes death.

Blood pressure is the force that a person’s blood exerts against the walls of their blood vessels. This pressure depends on the resistance of the blood vessels and how hard the heart has to work.

Almost half of all adults in the United States have high blood pressure, but many are not aware of this fact.

Hypertension is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and aneurysm. Keeping blood pressure under control is vital for preserving health and reducing the risk of these dangerous conditions.
Symptoms
Most people experience no symptoms from hypertension and may not be aware they have it.
A person with hypertension may not notice any symptoms, and so people often call it the “silent killer.” Without detection, hypertension can damage the heart, blood vessels, and other organs, such as the kidneys.

It is vital to check blood pressure regularly.

In rare and severe cases, high blood pressure causes sweating, anxiety, sleeping problems, and blushing. However, most people with hypertension will experience no symptoms at allTrusted Source.

If high blood pressure becomes a hypertensive crisis, a person may experience headaches and nosebleeds.

Management and treatment
Lifestyle adjustments are the standard, first-line treatment for hypertension. We outline some recommendations here:

Regular physical exercise
People can measure blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer.
Current guidelines recommend that all people, including those with hypertension, engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity, aerobic exercise every week, or 75 minutes a week of high intensity exercise.

People should exercise on at least 5 days of the week.

Examples of suitable activities are walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming.

Stress reduction
Avoiding or learning to manage stress can help a person control blood pressure.

Meditation, warm baths, yoga, and simply going on long walks are relaxation techniques that can help relieve stress.

People should avoid consuming alcohol, recreational drugs, tobacco, and junk food to cope with stress, as these can contribute to elevated blood pressure and the complications of hypertension.

Smoking can increase blood pressure. Avoiding or quitting smoking reduces the risk of hypertension, serious heart conditions, and other health issues.

Medication
People can use specific medications to treat hypertension. Doctors will often recommend a low dose at first. Antihypertensive medications will usually only have minor side effects.

Eventually, people with hypertension will need to combine two or more drugs to manage their blood pressure.

Medications for hypertension


The choice of medication depends on the individual and any underlying medical conditions they may experience.

Anyone on antihypertensive medications should carefully read the labels of any over-the-counter (OTC) drugs they may also take, such as decongestants. These OTC drugs may interact with the medications they are taking to lower their blood pressure.

Diet
People can prevent high blood pressure by following a heart-healthy diet.

Reducing salt intake
People’s average salt intake is between 9 grams (g) and 12 g per day in most countries around the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend reducing intake to under 5 gm a day to help decrease the risk of hypertension and related health problems.

Lowering salt intake can benefit people both with and without hypertension.

Moderating alcohol consumption
Moderate to excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommend a maximum of two alcoholic drinks a day for men, and one for women.

The following would count as one drink:

a 12-ounce (oz) bottle of beer
4 oz of wine
1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits
1 oz of 100-proof spirits
A healthcare provider can help people reduce consumption if they find it difficult to moderate their alcohol intake.

Eating more fruit and vegetables and less fat
People who have high blood pressure or people at high risk of developing high blood pressure should eat as little saturated and total fat as possible.

Instead, experts recommend:

whole grain, high fiber foods
a variety of fruit and vegetables
beans, pulses, and nuts
fish rich in omega-3 twice a week
nontropical vegetable oils, for example, olive oil
skinless poultry and fish
low fat dairy products
It is important to avoid trans fats, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and animal fats, as well as large portion sizes.

Some fats, such as those in oily fish and olive oil, have protective effects on the heart. However, these are still fats. While they are typically healthful, people with a risk of hypertension should still include them in their total fat intake.

Managing body weight
Excess body weight can contribute to hypertension. A fall in blood pressure usually follows weight loss, as the heart does not have to work so hard to pump blood around the body.

A balanced diet with a calorie intake that matches the individual’s size, sex, and activity level will help.

The DASH diet

DASH is a flexible and balanced eating plan with a firm grounding in research by the NHLBI who advise that the diet:

lowers high blood pressure
improves levels of fats in the bloodstream
reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease

For more details on DASH DIET PLEASE READ MY BLOG POST ON DASH DIET.

LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW) Peace be upon him.

Introduction :-

Allah says in the Holy Quran  you have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for him who hopes in Allah and the last day and who remembers Allah much (33;21) In this verse Allah instructs Muslims to follow Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) Who was an embodiment of the great values and manners of the Holy Quran. He gave the best example for mankind in the human history. Many Muslim and non Muslim writers bear witness that Prophet Muhammad  (P.B.U.H)  is the greatest man in the human history.  A large number of books have been written about the holy life of and the excellent morals of the Holy prophet (P.B.U.H) by a variety of authors throughout the world. However the life story of the Holy Prophet of Islam (P.B.U.H) is so open and rich that it cannot be covered fully. The story is still incomplete and countless books will be written about the personality and Ethics excellent moral character and life of the Holy prophet (P.B.U.H)

Birth:

The Arabs named the year 570 A.D., in which Abraham, the Abyssinian, attacked Kaaba with an army of elephants, as Aamul Feel (The year of elephants). It was in this year that the Prophet (SAW) was born in Makkah on Friday, the 12th Rabiul Awwal.

Personality and Characteristics of Holy Prophet (PBUH):

It is important to notice that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) was viewed to have a welcoming and honorable personality by his own people at the time. From an early age Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was popular for his gentle and calm character. How much he was liked and trusted by his own people can only be explained by presenting events that took place in his life. Then any negative views about him would be completely cleansed away.

Holy Prophet (PBUH) as a Teacher:

The most important reason behind the effectiveness of the educational activities carried out by the Prophet (P.B.U.H) was the truth of the content. But, the appropriateness of style in presenting the content was also important. We should pay attention to “whom” and “how” the Prophet taught as well as “what” he taught. He had methods for teaching. His style was not random.

We can see the education principles and methods put forward by modern education scholars in the practices of the Prophet. For instance, the following are model principles and methods used by the Prophet:

  • To identify the learners and organize the content appropriate to their level
  • To be tolerant to learners
  • To make them like what was being taught and to avoid their hating it or getting bored
  • To arouse learners’ interest and to show that they need to learn the material
  • To take the intelligence, spirit, emotions and physical state of learners into consideration and to design the teaching considering their needs
  • To make learners participate actively by thinking, searching, and asking questions
  • To make abstract concepts concrete by giving examples
  • To have the most appropriate attitude, behavior, and talking style before learners
  • To create activities to reinforce what is learnt

The Prophet was very sincere in what he was teaching and he applied what he taught in his daily life. So he was showing people how to apply those principles he taught. The people he assigned to teach others were also knowledgeable and skillful, and they had superior characteristics.

It is also a fact that the teachers assigned by the Prophet were good examples for people with their mature personalities, attitudes and behavior and that helped the educational activities of the Prophet to be successful. This is accepted by modern education scholars as well. Indeed, behavior sciences indicate that the teacher’s attitudes and behaviors influence the learners. The intellectual position, emotional reactions, habits, gestures and postures of the teacher affect the learner and play a role in shaping his personality. Most of the time the learner pays attention to the teacher’s approach to the subject rather than what he says. Therefore, teachers play a significant role in classrooms as a model for students.

Holy Prophet (PBUH) as leader:

Prophet Muhammad’s unique communication and leadership style led to the spread of Islam, not only within Arabia but also outside to the north, south, east, west and southwest of Arabia .  As a leader during wartime or as a leader during peacetime, Prophet Muhammad proved to master skillful techniques with which he accomplished his goals in delivering the message of Islam. 

Prophet Muhammad communicative values of liberty, justice, modesty, and politeness were matched with practical deeds. The people saw this action of his and identified with.  Prophet Muhammad’ skills as manifested in his speeches demonstrated to the eyes of all humankind that he was indeed a great leader worthy of note. 

The messages of the Prophet as viewed and analyzed in this study have a multipurpose implications both for the Moslem world and the Western world. His skillful use of rhetoric demonstrated his commitment for meaningful competent communication for humankind in general. His speeches demonstrated that he sought to see all humankind from the lens of kindness, modesty, moderation, justice, liberty, gentility, generosity and love. 

             Regardless of religion and political affiliation, Prophet Muhammad use Islam as a channel to preach kindness. This study has shown through his manifold communicative talents that he tried to influence thoughts by advocating kindness in our dealings with one another. By indicating to his wife Aisha that she should love the poor, it was an indirect way to teach all humankind to share love and kindness regardless of a person’s economic background. This same implication in the speeches of the Prophet can be discerned in his notion of modesty.

In his political leadership communication, the Prophet’s demonstration of extreme self-control made his followers to love him and his enemies either to give up and join his religion or to fear him and stay away. There was no human being who had his life more scrutinized and documented than the Prophet Muhammad.  His behavior toward his companions was perfect and towards his foes was fair. In essence, he was kind of educating them about governance.

Holy Prophet (PBUH) as a Husband and Father:

Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) personifies the perfect role as father and husband. He was fair, and he treated equally all his wives. He set an example for his wives with his behavior and actions. He told them that he loved them and told them their qualities. He also helped His wife getting on an animal by stepping on His knee. He also accepted dinner invitations with the condition that If my wife comes. He is an example and a leader in family relations. Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) treated His children with great compassion. He had four daughters. He set the best example as a father of daughters and told that daughters are blessing of ALLAH. He was a perfect father and unique grandfather.

Anas ibn Malik, the Messenger’s servant for 10 continuous years says, “I have never seen a man who was more compassionate to His family members than Muhammad (PBUH)”

 His daughter Fatimah RA was the youngest daughter of Holy Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H). Whenever she visited to meet her Father, Hazrat Muhammad SAWW would stand, take her hands and make her sit where He was sitting. He asked about her health and family. Hazrat Muhammad SAWW clarified that Islam allows no discrimination between sons and daughters.

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was a good and sincere husband. His greatest responsibilities did not take him away from his house and keeping good company to his wives. It was related that Ayesha (R.A.A.) said that he was always kind, smiling. He never criticized a food provided to him. If he liked it, he ate it; if he disliked it, he left it. After the death of His wife Khadeejah, he always remembered her and praised her. He was also so generous to her relatives. In many of his sayings, he instructed Muslims to deal kindly with their wives. For example, he said: The most perfect Muslim in the matter of faith is one who has an excellent behavior; and the best among you are those who behave best towards their wives. (Tirmizi).

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was a kind father. He used to pay attention to his children and listen to them. He used to play with his grand children AL-Hasan and Al-Hussain. Abu Hurairah relates that once the Prophet (P.B.U.H) kissed his grandson Al-Hasan ibn Ali (R.A.A) when Al-Aqra ibn Habis (R.A.A), one of his companions, was sitting with him. He remarked: I have ten sons and never kissed any of them. The Prophet (P.B.U.H) looked at him and said: One who has no compassion for others is not entitled for compassion (from Allah).(Bukhari & Muslim). He was so kind to all children that he greeted them whenever he met them. Sometimes, He shortened his prayer when he heared a child crying knowing that his mother was among the congregation. 

As a father, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) had the experience of losing his infant child. His son Ibrahim was born while he was at the end of his fifties. He was quite happy when his son Ibrahim was born. But his happiness did not last too long as Ibrahim died before reaching two years. Anas (R.A.A) related that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) visited his son Ibrahim when he was dying, seeing this, his eyes began to flow. Abdur Rahman ibn Auf (R.A.A) remarked: Even you Prophet of Allah.The Prophet P.B.U.H) said: Ibn Auf this is mercy.He started weeping again and said: The tears trickle from the eyes and the heart is full of sorrow but we say only that which pleases our Lord. O Ibrahim, we are indeed grieved for your passing away. (Bukhari). The Prophet (P.B.U.H) was extremely sad as much as any father might be when his son passed away, yet he did not oppose the decree of Allah.

Holy Prophet (PBUH) as a Businessman and Trader:

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was an honest businessman. He was a merchant for so many years before prophethood. He was known among his people as the honest and the truthful. Khadeejah (R.A.A) chose him to go to Syria and take care of her trade because of his honesty. After his return from Syria, Maisara, a servant of Khadeejah, who accompanied him in that trip, praised him for his goodness, honesty and sincerity. The best evidence of his honesty is that even his enemies in Makkah entrusted him with their valuable items. That is why before his migration to Madinah, he asked Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A.A) to stay in Makkah to give back these things to their owners.

The Holy Qur’an and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) have made it clear that a Muslim must be honest and upright in his business and monetary dealing. Also the true Muslim should keep his word and fulfill his promises, shun fraud and avoid deceit and perfidy, encroach not upon the rights of others, nor take part in wrongful litigation. Also a good Muslim does not give false testimony, and abstains from making unlawful money as from usury and graft. According to Islam whoever is not free from these vices, is not a true believer but a renegade and a worthless transgressor.

And the Qur’an is rich with verses that confirm all this. Allah says in the Quran, “Eat not up each other’s property by unfair and dishonest means.”

Holy Prophet (PBUH) treatment with Animals: 

In Hadith (Muslim religious text) of Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 4, Book 56, Number 673, narrated by Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “While a dog was going round a well and was about to die of thirst, an Israeli prostitute saw it and took off her shoe and watered it. So Allah forgave her because of that good deed.”

During a journey the Prophet left his companion for a while. During his absence, his companion saw a bird called hummara and took two young ones away from the mother bird. The mother bird was circling above in the air, beating its wings in grief, when the Prophet came back and said: “Who has hurt the feelings of this bird by taking its young? Return them to her”. The Prophet companion then replaced the offspring in the same bush.

Prophet Muhammad forbade the practice of cutting tails and manes of horses and of keeping horses saddled unnecessarily. It was forbidden to kick horses with oneâs feet unnecessarily while riding them. The Prophet also wrote to those who had been given responsibility to look after the rights of animals to highlight that it was forbidden to tighten the rein of a horse. It is forbidden to stay long on the back of an animal (Horse, Donkey, and Camel) when it is not in motion. The Prophet is reported to remark on this cruelty as “Do not turn your animals into chair”.

It is necessary upon every individual owning animal to spend on them, providing food and everything else required for their good up keep. The tenets of the Islam Shariah law towards animal’s rights make it obligatory for any individual to take care of any crippled animal like a blind cat that appears at their doorsteps. Islam expressly lays down rights for animals entitling them to the right of love and mercy.  Cruelty to animals in Islam is treated with grave contempt and the harshest of penalties, the fire of hell is accorded any individual whoever dares to be cruel to animals.

The Prophet (PBUH) once became very upset when he saw a donkey branded on the face and immediately forbid such cruel practice. He stated, “A good deed done to a beast is as good as doing good to a human being; while an act of cruelty to a beast is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being” (Bukhari). 

Treatment with Companions: 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad SA instilled his own benevolence into his companions at every turn with these instructions and examples. All of his actions were geared towards building mutual love, peace and justice between people. “You will not enter Paradise until you have faith and you will not have faith until you love one another. Do you want me to tell you something you can do to make you love one another? Make it a habit to greet one another with “Assalaamu Alaykum” – peace be upon you”. (Muslim) This simple greeting that many of us take for granted is an ongoing practical method to create love and benevolence between the believers, provided it is said with sincere meaning and conviction – that is, that we really wish peace and love on one another when we say it. It is this constant reminder of the essence of our faith and well-wishing towards others that builds love between believers. Another advice the Prophet gave was: “Give gifts to each other, as this will make you love one another.” (Muslim) He was known to give gifts himself and distribute wealth with no personal greediness whatsoever. Rasoolullah SA instructed Muslims and he himself visited the sick and tended to the poor. This is considered one of the most meritorious acts a Muslim can do. He often encouraged those around him to give to their neighbors and the less fortunate. He instructed to add water to the cooking pots to make soup and to share with neighbors. His followers, consequently, many times shared their meals and gladly gave everything that they had in their possession. 

Mercy for Enemies and Non-believers:

Prophet Muhammad (saw) treated everybody, friend or foe, with kindness and taught his companions to do likewise. It is reported by Abu Basra Ghifari (ra) that when he was a non-believer he came to Madinah and stayed as a guest of the Messenger of Allah (saw). He drank milk from all his goats at night but the Prophet (saw) did not say a word. That night he and all his family slept hungry.

A similar incident is reported by Abu Hurairah (ra). One night a non-believer stayed as a guest of the Noble Prophet (saw). One by one, he drank milk of all the seven goats, but the Prophet (saw) did not show any sign of anger or dislike towards him. Perhaps due to the Prophet’s behavior, next morning, the man embraced Islam and was satisfied with the milk of only one goat.

Abu Hurairah’s mother, who lived with him in Madinah, was a non-believer. She used to abuse the Noble Prophet (saw), about which Abu Hurairah (ra) complained to him, but he prayed for her. Bilal (ra) was very close to Prophet Muhammad (saw) and managed his household. One day a non-believer called him a Negro and said that he would not rest until he had made him tend his goats for him. Prophet Muhammad (saw) heard this conversation but did not say anything to the non-believer.

The problem of hypocrites in Madinah was a great test for the Prophet and his companions, but he always treated them kindly and with great consideration. Abdullah Ibn Ubayy and his followers embraced Islam, but at heart they were non-believers and never really accepted Islam. Their behavior at the time of the Battle of Uhud and on many other occasions was damaging to the cause of Islam, but Prophet Muhammad (saw) always treated them with kindness. When Abdullah Ibn Ubayy died, Prophet Muhammad gave his cloak for his shroud.

Jews were extremely hostile to Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his mission, but he was always kind to them. Once he went to the house of a Jew to visit his sick son. He invited the boy to Islam but the boy looked towards his father for his permission. His father gave him permission and the boy embraced Islam. Once when the funeral of a Jew was passing, the Prophet (saw) stood up as a mark of respect for the dead. Once a Jew complained to him that a Muslim had slapped him. He called that Muslim at once and reprimanded him.

In the valley of Hudaibiyah while Prophet Muhammad (saw) was saying the Morning Prayer with his companions, seventy or eighty non-believers came down quietly from the mountain of Taneem in order to kill the Muslims during prayer. They were caught and brought before him. He treated them well and released them all.

In fact, he treated all people with kindness under all circumstances and never showed any ill-will towards anyone or mistreated anyone. Makhul (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “The believers are gentle and kind like a pliant camel which, when guided, lets itself be guided and when made to sit, even on stones, does so.” Mu’adh (ra) said, “The last injunction Allah’s Messenger gave me when he put his foot in the stirrup was, ‘Treat people well, O Mu’adh.'”

Mercy for Orphans:

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was kind to all people and asked his followers to be the same. He was especially kind to orphans and asked his companions to be kind to them. Thauban (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “Only supplication averts the decree (of fate), only kindness prolongs life, and a man is deprived of provision for a fault he has committed.”

Ibn Umar (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “A Muslim is a Muslim’s brother; he does not wrong him. If anyone cares for his brother’s need, Allah will take care of his need; if anyone relieves his brother’s anxiety, Allah will remove from him one of his anxieties on the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone conceals a Muslim’s secrets, Allah will conceal his secrets on the Day of Resurrection.”

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “The best house among the Muslims is one where an orphan is well treated, and the worst house among the Muslims is one where an orphan is badly treated.”

Abu Omamah (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “If anyone caresses an orphan by moving his fingers in his hair, doing so only for God’s sake, he will have blessings for every hair over which his hand passes and if anyone treats well an orphan girl or boy under his care, he and I shall be like these two in Paradise,” putting two of his fingers together.

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “He who strives to serve a widow and a poor person is like the one who strives in Allah’s way.” He also reported that when a man complained to the Messenger of Allah of being hardhearted he said, “Show affection to the orphans and feed the poor.”

Mercy for Relatives:

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was very kind to his relatives and asked his followers to treat their parents and relatives with kindness. Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that a man asked Allah’s Messenger, “Who is most deserving of friendly care from me?” He replied, “Your mother.” He asked who came next and Prophet Muhammad (saw) replied, “Your mother.” He asked who came next and he again replied, “Your mother.” He again asked who came next and he replied, “Your father.” And last of all, he replied, “Your nearest relatives.”

He also reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “May he be humbled; may he be humbled; may he be humbled.” He was asked about whom he was speaking. He replied, “The one, who, having one or both parents live to old age, does not enter Paradise (by treating them nicely).” Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr (ra), said that her mother, who was a non-believer, came to her at the time of the treaty with the Quraish. She asked Allah’s Messenger (saw), “My mother, who is ill-disposed towards Islam, has come to me. Shall I show her affection and treat her with kindness?” The Prophet (saw) asked her to treat her mother with kindness.

Ibn Umar (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “One of the first acts of kindness is for a man to treat his father’s friends in a kind manner after his death.” Anas (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger as saying, “He who wishes to have his provisions increased and his term of life prolonged should treat his relatives well.” Abu Hurairah (ra) and many other companions reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying that Rahim (ties of kinship) is a word derived from the Compassionate One, (Al-Raheem). Allah said, “I shall keep connection with him who joins you, and sever connection with him who severs you.” Abdullah Ibn Abu Aufa (ra) told that he heard Allah’s Messenger (saw) say, “Mercy will not descend on a people among whom there is one who severs ties of kinship.”

Anas (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “By Him in Whose Hands is my soul, a man does not believe until he wishes for his brother what he does for himself.” Abu Hurairah (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger as saying, “By Allah he does not believe,” and he repeated it thrice. When asked to whom he was referring, he replied, “The one from whom his neighbor is not safe.” Abdullah Ibn Amr (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying, “The best companion in Allah’s sight is the one who is best to his companion, and the best neighbor in Allah’s sight is the one who is best to his neighbor.”

This is one of the principles put forward by Islam as a foundation for the whole structure of human relationships. “Treat your parents with great consideration. If either or both of them live with you in their old age, do not say a word of contempt to them, nor rebuke them but speak kind words to them; treat them with humility and tenderness and pray: ‘Lord, be merciful to them just as they brought me up with kindness and affection.'” (Qur’an, 17:23-24) In Surah Luqmaan, we read, “And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents, to show gratitude to Me and to your parents.” (Qur’an, 31:14)

The essence of Islam is to serve Allah and be kind and good to one’s fellow creatures: “Serve Allah, and join not any partner with him and show kindness and affection to your parents and to relatives and to orphans, and to the needy; and be considerate to your neighbors and to wayfarers.” (Qur’an, 4:36) The same commandment was given to nations of previous times: “Remember that We made a solemn covenant with the Children of Israel to this effect: Worship none but Allah; be good to your Parents, to your relatives, to orphans and to the helpless; and speak fair to the people.” (Qur’an, 2:83)

Prophet (PBUH) treatment with Women:

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was also very kind and affectionate towards women. Women were very badly treated in those times. The Noble Prophet (saw) gave them honor and dignity at par with men in the community. Umar (ra) reported, “We did not have much regard for women, while we were at Makkah, but they were better treated in Madinah. Allah’s Messenger (saw) established women’s rights through his sayings and commandments, which improved their position and status.”

Men enjoyed the privilege of the company of Allah’s Messenger most of the time while women did not get any time to listen to him or inquire about their problems. Therefore, women requested him to allocate one day for them for this purpose. The Prophet (saw) accepted their request and fixed a day for them. As women are usually of a tender and weak nature, he took special care of them and always treated them with kindness. As a result, women felt free to inquire about their problems without any fear or hesitation.

Once on a journey with the Noble Prophet (saw), Anjasha, an Abyssinian slave was walking ahead of the camels and was singing. Some of the wives of the Noble Prophet (saw) happened to be with him on that journey. While Anjasha was singing, the carriers began moving fast. At that, Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “Anjasha, take care lest the crystals (women) may break.”

Asma bint Amees (ra) was one of those who had immigrated to Abyssinia in the early period of Islam. When during the expedition of Khaybar, while the Muslims were on their way back to Madinah, she also came with them. One day she came to see Hafsah when Umar (ra) was also there. On that occasion, Umar (ra) casually remarked that as they had immigrated before them they had greater claim to Allah’s Messenger than others. Asma became angry and said, “Never, you people lived with Allah’s Messenger who fed the hungry, while we were away from home, living among strangers in Abyssinia who often maltreated us and we were in constant fear of our lives.”

While this talk was going on, Allah’s Messenger (saw) entered to whom Asma said, “O Allah’s Messenger, Umar (ra) has said this.” Prophet Muhammad (saw) asked, “What did you reply?” She told the whole story, whereupon the Noble Prophet (saw) said, “Umar (ra) has no more right over me than you have. Umar (ra) and his companions immigrated only once, whereas you people immigrated twice.”

When the report of this incident spread in Madinah, Abyssinian immigrants came running to Asma (ra) and listened to Allah’s Messenger’s words again and again. According to Asma’s account, there was nothing more pleasing in the world to the ears of the Abyssinian immigrants than the words of the Prophet (saw).

Once many women relatives of Prophet Muhammad (saw) were sitting around him and talking loudly to him. When Umar (ra) came they all left, at which the Prophet laughed. Umar (ra) said, “O Allah’s Messenger, may Allah keep you smiling. Why did you laugh?” The Prophet (saw) remarked that he was amazed at the behavior of those women, who, on hearing Umar (ra)’s voice, had all hidden themselves from him. Umar (ra), addressing them, said, “You fear me but do not fear Allah’s Messenger.” They all said, “You are a hot-tempered person in comparison to Allah’s Messenger.”

Once the Noble Prophet (saw) was sleeping with his face covered in the apartment of A’ishah (ra). It was the day of Eid and young girls were singing. Abu Bakr (ra) entered the house and asked the girls to stop. The Prophet (saw) said, “Let them sing, it is the day of Eid for them.”

As a result of Prophet Muhammad’s exemplary temperament and kind treatment, women used to ask him questions and the companions were often surprised at their boldness, but he never showed any kind of aversion or displeasure towards them. It is reported by many companions, including Abu Saeed, A’ishah, Anas, Ibn Abbas and Jabir (ra), that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “Whoever has two or three daughters or sisters and treats them well will go to Paradise.”

Mercy for Slaves:

The Noble Prophet (PBUH) was particularly kind to slaves. He used to say, “They are your brothers; give them to eat what you eat, and give them to wear what you wear.” Whenever he received any slaves, he always gave them freedom but they could never free themselves from his kindness and generosity. They left their parents, relatives and families and regarded it as an honor to live in bondage to him.

Zaid Ibn Haritha (ra) was a slave. Muhammad (PBUH) freed him and gave him the choice to go with his father, who had come, to take him, but he refused to go with his father and preferred to stay with the Prophet. Muhammad (saw) loved Usama, son of Zaid, so much that he used to say that if he had been a girl, he would have adorned him with ornaments.

Slaves felt humiliated at being called slaves. He advised his companions not to say “my slave” or “my slave-girl” but to say, “My son” or “my daughter.” He also told the slaves not to call their masters “lord” for Allah alone was the Lord. He was so kind to slaves that his last admonition before he died was, “Fear Allah in regard to your slaves.” Abu Zarr (ra) was one of the converts and Muhammad (PBUH) praised him for his honesty. Once he abused a non-Arab slave, who complained to the Noble Prophet (PBUH) about this.

He reprimanded Abu Dharr (ra) and said, “You still have some traces of Days of Ignorance; these slaves are your brothers. Allah has given you authority over them; if they are not suited to your temperament, sell them. Don’t harm Allah’s creatures. Give them to eat what you eat; and to wear what you wear. Don’t give them that much work which they cannot do. If you assign a piece of work to them which is beyond their capacity, then give them a helping hand to finish their work.”

Once Abu Masud Ansari (ra) was beating his slave when he heard a voice behind him say, “Abu Masud! Allah has more power and control over you than you have over this slave.” Abu Masud (ra) turned and saw that it was Allah’s Messenger (saw). He said, “O Allah’s Messenger! I free this slave for the pleasure of Allah.” Prophet Muhammad (saw) replied, “If you had not done so, the fire of Hell would have touched you.”

People in those days arranged the marriages of slaves but forcibly separated them whenever they wished. One man arranged the marriage of his slave to his slave-girl and then waited to separate them. The slave complained to Allah’s Messenger (saw), who stood up in the Mosque and addressed the people, “Why do people marry slaves and then separate them? The right of marriage and divorce belongs only to the husband and wife.”

The effect of this kindness was that many slaves of polytheists used to run away and come to him. He used to grant them freedom. When the spoils of war were distributed, slaves were given their due share. The newly freed slaves received their shares first for they did not have any property.

Once a man came to Prophet Muhammad (saw) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger! How many times should I forgive the mistakes of slaves?” The Noble Prophet (saw) kept quiet. The man repeated his question three times, and the Prophet replied at the third time, “Forgive them seventy times every day.” A man had two slaves but was not happy with them. He used to beat and abuse them but they did not change their ways. He complained to the Prophet (saw) and asked for his advice. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that if his punishment was in proportion to their wrongs, well and good; otherwise Allah would punish him for his excesses.

On hearing this, the man was upset and began crying. Prophet Muhammad (saw) recited the verse from the Qur’an, “We shall set up scales of justice on the Day of Judgment.” (1:47), and observed that the man did not read the Qur’an. After this he said, “O Allah’s Messenger, it is better that I release them from my possession. Be witness that they are now free.

DASH diet: Healthy eating to lower your blood pressureDiscover how DASH can help you lower your blood pressure and improve your health.

The DASH diet is a dietary pattern promoted by the U.S.-based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and control hypertension. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods

Three recent studies show that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lowfat dairy products and low in fat, refined carbohydrates, and sodium can lower blood pressure either alone or in combination with other lifestyle changes. These studies have greatly expanded our knowledge of nonpharmacologic interventions to prevent and manage hypertension. They also underscore the need for diet and lifestyle counseling in the primary care setting.
DASH diet and sodium
The standard DASH diet limits sodium to 2,300 mg a day. It meets the recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to keep daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg a day. That’s roughly the amount of sodium in 1 teaspoon of table salt.

A lower sodium version of DASH restricts sodium to 1,500 mg a day. You can choose the version of the diet that meets your health needs. If you aren’t sure what sodium level is right for you, talk to your doctor.


To lower the sodium in your diet, try these suggestions:

1)Use a food diary to keep track of the salt in the foods you eat.
2)Break the habit of automatically reaching for your salt shaker. Table salt is about 40% sodium, according to the American Heart Association. So avoid adding salt to foods at the table.
3)Read the labels when shopping. Look for lower-sodium cereals, crackers, pasta sauces, canned vegetables, or any foods with low-salt options.
4)Select foods that have 5% or less of the “Daily Value” of sodium.
5)Avoid foods that have 20% or more Daily Value of sodium.
6)Eat fewer processed, canned, and packaged foods. Packaged, processed foods account for most of the sodium in people’s diets. If you prepare your own food, you control what’s in it.
7)At restaurants, ask about salt added to food. Many chefs will skip or cut back on salt if you ask.
8)If your restaurant posts the nutrition facts for its dishes, check how much sodium is in a serving. There may be lower-sodium options on the menu.
9)Use salt-free seasonings.
If you need to use salt while cooking, add it at the end. You’ll need to add less.
DASH diet: What to eat
The DASH diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It’s easy to follow using foods found at your grocery store.

The DASH diet is rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans and nuts. It limits foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy products.

When following DASH, it is important to choose foods that are:

Rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber and protein
Low in saturated fat
Low in sodium
DASH diet: Recommended servings
The DASH diet provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. The number of servings you should have depends on your daily calorie needs.

Here’s a look at the recommended servings from each food group for a 2,000-calorie-a-day DASH diet:

Grains: 6 to 8 servings a day. One serving is one slice bread, 1 ounce dry cereal, or 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta.
Vegetables: 4 to 5 servings a day. One serving is 1 cup raw leafy green vegetable, 1/2 cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables, or 1/2 cup vegetable juice.
Fruits: 4 to 5 servings a day. One serving is one medium fruit, 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit, or 1/2 cup fruit juice.
Fat-free or low-fat dairy products: 2 to 3 servings a day. One serving is 1 cup milk or yogurt, or 1 1/2 ounces cheese.
Lean meats, poultry and fish: six 1-ounce servings or fewer a day. One serving is 1 ounce cooked meat, poultry or fish, or 1 egg.
Nuts, seeds and legumes: 4 to 5 servings a week. One serving is 1/3 cup nuts, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons seeds, or 1/2 cup cooked legumes (dried beans or peas).
Fats and oils: 2 to 3 servings a day. One serving is 1 teaspoon soft margarine, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise or 2 tablespoons salad dressing.
Sweets and added sugars: 5 servings or fewer a week. One serving is 1 tablespoon sugar, jelly or jam, 1/2 cup sorbet, or 1 cup lemonade.

HYPERTENSION IS A SILENT KILLER TO KEEP IT AT BAY ADOPT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Hypoglycemia

What is hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia occurs when the level of glucose present in the blood falls below a set point:

Below 4 mmol/L (72mg/dL)

Being aware of the early signs of hypoglycemia will allow you to treat your low blood glucose levels quickly – in order to bring them back into the normal range.

It is also recommended to make close friends and family aware of the signs of hypoglycemia in case you fail to recognise the symptoms.

What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

The main symptoms associated with hypoglycemia are:

Sweating

Fatigue

Feeling dizzy

Symptoms of hypoglycemia can also include:

Being pale

Feeling weak

Feeling hungry

A higher heart rate than usual

Blurred vision

Confusion

Convulsions

Loss of consciousness

And in extreme cases, coma

Who is at risk of hypos?

Whilst low blood sugar can happen to anyone, dangerously low blood sugar can occur in people who take the following medication:

Insulin

Sulphopnylureas (such as glibenclamide, gliclazide, glipizide, glimepiride, tolbutamide)

Prandial glucose regulators (suchsuch as repaglinide, nateglinide)

If you are not sure whether your diabetes medication can cause hypos, read the patient information leaflet that comes with each of your medications or ask your doctor.

It is important to know whether your diabetes medication puts you at risk of hypos.

What are the causes of hypoglycemia?

Whilst medication is the main factor involved in hypoglycemia within people with diabetes, a number of other factors can increase the risk of hypos occurring.

Factors linked to a greater risk of hypos include:

Too high a dose of medication ( insulin or hypo causing tablets)

Delayed meals

Exercise

Alcohol

You can take steps to minimise the risk of these factors causing hypos.How is hypoglycemia diagnosed?

Hypoglycemia is detected by measuring blood sugar levels with a glucose meter. Any blood glucose level below 4.0 mmol/L indicates that the individual has hypoglycemia. Urine tests do not detect hypoglycemia.

If taking a blood test is not possible or would take too much time, it may be better to treat the hypo straight away.

How do I treat hypoglycemia?

A mild case of hypoglycemia can be treated through eating or drinking 15-20g of fast acting carbohydrate such as glucose tablets, sweets, sugary fizzy drinks or fruit juice.

Some people with diabetes may also need to take 15-20g of slower acting carbohydrate if the next meal is not due.

A blood test should be taken after 15-20 minutes to check whether blood glucose levels have recovered. Severe hypoglycemia may require an ambulance, for example if loss of consciousness occurs or a seizure persists for more than 5 minutes.

Severe hypos can be treated with glucagon if a glucagon injection kit is available and in date.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAYOCTOBER-10-2021

World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and support against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. 

This day, each October, thousands of supporters come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on peoples’ lives worldwide. In some countries this day is part of an awareness week, such as Mental Health Week.

Mental health is a “state of welfare, well-being, comfort or happiness in which the individual understands his or her own potentials/abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community effectively”.

Mental health includes our psychological, emotional or social well-being. Our mental health affects how we think, feel, and act. It’s our mental health that determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and simply make choices in our daily life. Mental health is important at every stage of an individual life, from childhood to adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of an individual life, if a person is experiencing mental health issues, his/her thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

  • Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry.
  • Life experiences, such as life traumas or abuses.
  • Family history of mental health problems

Mental health is essential to living a healthy and balanced life. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five person experience mental health issues which translates to more than 40 million adults a year. Mental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.

Mental Health and Wellness:

Positive mental health allows people to:

  • Realize their full potential.
  • Cope with the stresses of life.
  • Work productively.
  • Make meaningful contributions to their communities.

Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

  • Getting professional help if you need it.
  • Connecting with others.
  • Staying positive.
  • Getting physically active.
  • Helping others.
  • Getting enough sleep.
  • Developing coping skills.

Our mental health includes our psychological, emotional and social well-being. This means it impacts how we feel, think and behave each and every day. Our mental health also contributes to our decision making process, how we cope with stress and how we relate to others in our lives.

Why emotional health is important?

Emotional and mental health is important because it’s a vital part of your life and impacts on your thoughts, behaviors and emotions. Being emotionally healthy can encourage productivity and effectiveness in activities like work, school or caregiving. It plays an important part in the health of our relationships, and allows us to adapt and adjust to changes in our daily life and cope with difficulty.

How can we improve our emotional health day-to-day?

There are steps you can take to improve your mental health every day. Small things like 

  • Exercising, 
  • Eating a balanced and healthy meals, 
  • Opening up to other people in your life, 
  • Taking a break when you need to, 
  • Remembering something you are grateful for and 
  • Getting a good night’s sleep, can be helpful in boosting your emotional health.

How can we improve our mental health?

  • Value yourself: Treat yourself with kindness and respect, and avoid self-criticism.
  • Take care of your body.
  • Surround yourself with good people.
  • Give yourself.
  • Learn how to deal with stress.
  • Quiet your mind.
  • Set realistic goals.
  • Break up the monotony.

How can we make our Self mentally strong?

1. Focus on the moment. The challenges that come from time to time are a test of our willingness to give and change. The worst thing you can do is to ignore the situation or delay in developing solutions. The challenge is here and the difficulty is now. Focus your energy on the present moment; don’t lose what is right before you. When you focus on the moment you come to realize where you have the most power to make things right.

2. Embrace adversity. Mental strength gives us the ability to see the obstacles in our path as stepping stones. When we meeting struggle, and we all do, we can be inspired by the knowledge that it’s not a dead end but a path to deeper knowledge and understanding.

3. Exercise your mind. Just like your muscles, your mind needs to be exercised to gain strength. Growth and development take consistent work, and if you have not pushed yourself recently, you might not be growing as much as you can. Mental strength is built through lots of small wins, maintained through the choices we make every day. To gain stamina, take on a daily task that stretches your mental endurance.

4. Challenge yourself. Albert Einstein once said, “One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.” Underestimating you and playing it safe hold you back from success. When you believe in yourself and your abilities, you often can go beyond the imaginable.

5. Respond positively. You cannot control everything that comes your way, but you are in absolute control of how you react to everything that comes your way. What happens to you is important–but not as important as your response. Incredible progress can happen in your life and leadership when you take control of your reactions.

6. Be mindful. Mindfulness means taking control of your focus and being intentional about what you give your attention to. Whether it’s an emotion, a thought, a belief, an impulse, or something in the environment, mindfulness calls us to approaching everything with a curious, nonjudgmental, open, and accepting attitude. To be the most resilient and mentally strong, make the time to be mindful so you can focus on what you truly want.

7. Don’t be defeated by fear. To be resilient and mentally strong means knowing how to deal with fear. When you enter frightening situations with the awareness that it’s an opportunity for you to grow, trust outweighs fear.

8. Be aware of self-talk. We’re often so busy worrying about how we talk to others that we sometimes lose track of the way we talk to ourselves. Make a point of being as positive and supportive of yourself as you are of others, because when times get tough you have to be able to believe you can make it through. Replace self-doubt with positivity.

9. Rid yourself of can’t. When you feel like you can’t do something, keep your focus positive. You just have to do it. The mentally strong weed out the words like can’t, never, and should–replacing them with can, could, and when.

10. Stumble toward success. Winston Churchill once said, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Persistence gives you the ability to face any difficulty, any challenge, any setback without being defeated. It’s better to have a lifetime full of small failures that you learned from rather than one filled with the regret of never having tried.

11. Find solutions. There will be always problems, complications and any effort has hurdles, but if you can learn to focus 90 percent of your time on solutions and only 10 percent on problems, you’ll be able to respond effectively instead of spinning your wheels.

12. Be grateful. In our busy lives we neglect many of the basic concept of recognition but gratitude gives us strength. Thankfulness can transform any common day into a thanks giving day and turn routine jobs onto joy and change ordinary opportunities into something we get grateful about.

13. Brace yourself for the storms. Hardship is unavoidable. Be as well-prepared as you can so you can fight them with strength and push through to blue skies.

14. Define your moments. When you find yourself doubting how far you can go, remember how far you have come. Give yourself credit for everything you have faced, for the battles you have won, for the fears you’ve overcome.

15. Make it an everyday pursuit. Most mental strength is built and demonstrated not in exceptional circumstances but in the day-to-day of life and leadership.

Positivity, preparation, willingness, discipline, focus, and a long view will all serve you well. Practice mental toughness and you’ll soon be amazed at how strong you’ve become.

Issues related to mental health can impact different people in different ways. If you start to see changes in your overall happiness and relationships, there are always ways get the support you want. Here are some ways you can get help:

When is a good time to reach out for help?

  • Connect with other peoples, friends and family.
  • Reaching out and opening up to other people in your life can help provide emotional support.
  • Learn more about mental health — there are many resources you can turn to for learning more about emotional health. 
  • Take a mental health assessment — an assessment can help determine if stress, anxiety or depression may be having an impact on your life. 
  • Talk to a professional — if you start to feel like your emotional health is starting to impact you, it may be time to reach out for extra support. 
  • Teachers are in a unique position to help. On average, teachers spend 900 hours a year with students. As a teacher, you are much more than an educator; you are seen as a trusted adult, a role model, and a safe haven for your students – especially those who may be hurting.

Lastly, Discover ways to take a healthy approach to your emotional wellness, as well as understand issues like depression and how it can affect men and women differently. 

20 signs of high blood sugar.

1. Fatigue

Extreme fatigue can be a symptom of high blood sugar levels. When you have too much glucose (sugar) in your blood, you will feel tired. Blood that contains a lot of sugar moves more slowly than blood with normal sugar levels. The circulation of blood around the body slows down. When this happens, organs and cells are not getting the oxygen that they need from the blood. This is what causes them long-term harm if high blood sugar levels are not treated.

The fatigue brought on by high blood sugar levels is also related to inflammation. The high sugar levels cause inflammation of the blood vessels. Research shows that when blood vessels are inflamed, monocytes are released into the brain. Monocytes are immune cells. They cause fatigue.

2. Blurred vision

If you experience an onset of blurred vision, it could be because you have high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels that do not decrease cause the eye’s lens to swell up. This change to the lens affects your ability to see. Left untreated, the permanent swelling of the lens can do permanent damage and affect your eyesight. Diabetic retinopathy describes the eye conditions caused by diabetes. The two most common are macular edema and proliferative retinopathy.

3. Headaches

Headaches are common among people with high blood sugar. They are not described as a migraine or severe in nature. They take several days to develop and can last for a while. This is one of the earliest signs that something is wrong with your blood sugar levels. It’s not the sugar that causes a headache as such. It’s the changes in the sugar levels that does it. As the condition worsens and no treatment is used to intervene, the headache will become worse. It is thought that rising sugar levels affect the levels of hormones in the body. The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine will fluctuate. This has the potential to bring about the onset of a headache.

A headache is a warning that your blood sugar levels are out of sync. The more your blood sugar levels fluctuate, the more frequently you’ll experience headaches. If the fluctuations are extreme, the intensity of a headache may worsen. 

Other factors such as a lack of sleep, alcohol, poor posture, allergic reactions, and hormone changes can also cause headaches. If you experience frequent headaches, it is a good idea to go to the doctor to establish the cause. It is likely that your blood sugar levels will be tested to eliminate them as the cause.

4. More frequent trips to the bathroom

You may need to urinate more often than usual. This is a common sign of high blood sugar levels. Because your body doesn’t process the sugar in the blood, it builds up and finds its way to your kidneys. There, your kidneys work under pressure to filter and then absorb this excess sugar. Your kidneys will in all likelihood not be able to keep up the pace. Then the excess sugar gets into your urine. As it goes into the urine, it takes with it other fluids. This results in the bladder being filled with more fluid than usual, prompting your need for more bathroom breaks. This symptom of high blood sugar levels is called polyuria.

In classic cases of polyuria, you may pass as much as 3 liters of urine in a 24-hour period. The average adult passes 1-2 liters of urine in that time. If you start experiencing what you think is polyuria, get your blood sugar levels tested as soon as you can. While there are other causes of polyuria, it is associated with raised blood sugar levels and diabetes.

5. Insatiable thirst

Excessive thirst is called polydipsia. It is also an indicator that your blood sugar levels may be too high. As a result of polydipsia, people experience polyuria, as the water they drink must be expelled from the body. Once the urine has been expelled from the body, it must protect itself from dehydration. So, you will feel the need to drink fluids. The more trips you take to the bathroom, the more fluids you’ll want to drink.

On the face of it, drinking a lot of water may sound like a good idea. After all, we’re told that water is good for us. And it is. But like most things, too much water can be a bad thing. It upsets the delicate chemical balance in your body. If you’re drinking normal amounts of water, excess water is eliminated from the body as urine. But if you’re drinking too much, it dilutes the blood. This can lead to you having too little sodium in your blood and too much water inside and around the cells of the body. This is called hyponatremia. Hyponatremia brings with it headaches, muscle cramps, nausea, fatigue, and seizures. 

6. Increased appetite

This is a recognized indicator of high blood sugar levels. Excessive hunger or increased appetite is called polyphagia. It’s been described as ‘starving in the land of plenty.’ No matter how much you eat or how frequently you eat, you never feel full. How can it be possible? Polyphagia is not unique to people with high blood sugar levels. It can also occur in people with eating disorders, stress, depression, anxiety, or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland).

If your blood sugar levels are high, the sugar is not absorbed into your system where the cells convert it to energy. Your body does not absorb the glucose either because it doesn’t produce insulin, or because it has developed insulin resistance. Whichever of these is the cause, the problem remains that your body is prevented from absorbing the glucose. The glucose is then expelled from the body.

7. Your mouth feels dry all the time

The medical term for ‘dry mouth’ is xerostomia. It is a common sign of high blood sugar levels and diabetes. It is advisable to seek medical advice if you have dry mouth and suspect that you may have diabetes. Dry mouth is caused by a shortage of saliva in the mouth. The symptomatic characteristics of dry mouth are cracked or chapped lips, rough or dry tongue, mouth sores, gum or tooth cavity infections. Dry mouth makes talking, chewing, and swallowing difficult because saliva is needed for these functions.

There are many causes of dry mouth. They include kidney dialysis, protracted breathing through the mouth, and dehydration. Dry mouth can also be a result of side effects of certain medications. Scientists are still researching why people get dry mouth. Definitive reasons for certain conditions manifesting themselves through xerostomia have not yet been established. Effective treatment for dry mouth is only possible once the underlying condition causing it has been established.

8. You may feel short of breath

Shortness of breath is related to very high blood sugar levels. It is a sign that your blood sugar levels have been at a high level for quite some time already. If you do not treat your high blood sugar levels, you can experience ketoacidosis. This is commonly known as a diabetic coma. It is caused by a lack of insulin in the body. This lack of insulin is an indicator that your pancreas is no longer producing insulin. This is the cause of diabetes. The lack of insulin makes it impossible for your body to absorb the glucose and convert it to energy.

The body needs the energy to function. When it cannot absorb glucose to manufacture energy, it starts burning fat to make energy. As the body does this, waste by-products called ketones are produced. Ketones are bad for your body.

When you have a large number of ketones in your bloodstream, your body tries to get rid of them through the urine. However, this is not enough. So many ketones are in the blood that not all can be expelled from the body. They remain behind and build up. This leads to ketoacidosis, which is potentially fatal and must be treated immediately.

9. You may find it difficult to concentrate and remember things

Memory loss, confusion, and difficulty concentrating can be related to several conditions. These include depression, stress, alcohol abuse, Alzheimer’s disease, side effects of medications, or an underactive thyroid gland. However, they are also associated with high blood sugar levels that have been untreated for some time.

The symptoms of memory loss include forgetting close friends and family members’ names or where things in your home are. You could forget something significant that happened to you, or you’ll forget something you’ve recently done. You might walk into a room and not remember why you went there in the first place.

10. You may have abdominal pain or gastrointestinal issues

Conditions that affect the gastrointestinal (GI) system are common in people with high blood sugar levels or diabetes. The length of time the blood sugar levels are raised and how high they are can take a toll on your GI tract.

A common ailment associated with high blood sugar levels is called gastroparesis. This is characterized by a delay stomach’s ability to empty its contents. Sustained high blood sugar levels can damage the vagus nerve. This nerve is important as it assists with the regulation of the whole digestive system. When the vagus nerve is damaged, the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract cannot work properly. This results in food not being pumped through the digestive system. Instead, it stays behind, and its movement is delayed. Gastroparesis symptoms include heartburn (indigestion), vomiting food that is undigested, bloating of the stomach area, and unexplained weight loss.

11. Slow healing of cuts and wounds

Cuts and wounds that don’t heal are signs that something is wrong with your health. The body’s self-healing processes are an indicator of your overall health. Within minutes of sustaining a cut or wound, the body acts immediately to begin healing it. When your body doesn’t respond this way, you need to establish the underlying cause. It could be a suppressed immune system, chronic blood circulation condition, or iron-deficiency anemia.

Wound healing is characterized by four distinct stages. The bleeding stage takes place when the wound occurs. Your body sends clotting agents to the site of the wound to stop the bleeding. During the inflammatory phase is when a scab is formed to protect the wound from the outside. The wound must be protected from infection. The proliferative stage follows. This is when the body is healing the damaged cells. In the final stage, called remodeling, the skin is healed, and the scab falls off as protection is no longer needed.

If you see these symptoms after a cut or wound, your body could be experiencing problems with self-healing. They include swelling around the wound site, excessive fluids leaking from the wound that is an unusual color and may smell rotten. The site of the wound will feel hot all the time, and you will experience increased pain at or around the wound site.

When cuts and wounds don’t heal, it can be a sign of sustained high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can cause a condition called neuropathy. This is nerve damage caused by too much glucose in the blood. This causes blood circulation problems.  The healing processes are slowed down if the body cannot deliver what is required for healing to the site of the wound.

12. You may have recurrent infections

The immune system is vital for the body’s defense against bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and parasites the body encounters. If the immune system is deficient, it affects the body’s ability to fight off infections. A compromised immune system is a sign of several disorders.

High blood sugar levels affect how your immune system works. The inflammation in the cells from too much glucose in the blood prevents oxygen and the necessary defense cells from reaching the infection. Since the soldiers can’t reach the battlefield, the enemy has time to take hold and spread its control. In wounds, this can lead to fungal infections such as gangrene taking hold, resulting in amputations.

13. Your skin may be drier than usual and itchy

Itching is a common diabetes symptom, and diabetes is associated with high blood sugar levels. People with diabetes are more likely to experience itching skin than those who don’t have it. If you have high blood sugar levels or suspect you might, do not ignore your itchy skin. Left untreated, high blood sugar levels are dangerous, and the damage done to your skin from the itching could be serious.

Damaged nerve fibers at the skin’s surface caused by too much glucose in the blood could cause itchy skin. This condition is called neuropathy. It’s possible that the itching is signaling that nerve damage is not yet done but is about to happen. When neuropathy starts, the body releases cytokines. These inflammatory substances cause itching of the skin. This indicates the risk of imminent nerve damage and requires the intervention of a doctor. Itchy skin can also be the result of eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, or athlete’s foot.

Look out for itching in the lower extremities as a sign of neuropathy. The itching may be experienced all over the body. It makes clothes uncomfortable, is constant, and can keep you awake at night. Scratching your skin until it bleeds places you at further risk if your high blood sugar levels have compromised your immune system. The skin won’t heal and will be susceptible to infection.

Treat itchy skin with lotions straight after bathing. Make sure that you are not allergic or sensitive to the products you are using as this will cause itching. If itchy skin is the result of high blood sugar levels, management of the condition through diet or medications will ease the itching.

14. You may experience numbness or pain in your extremities

Poor circulation affects your hands and fingers more than any other body parts. When you have too much sugar in your blood, it thickens and moves more slowly. That, coupled with the damage that high blood sugar levels cause to the blood vessels, compromises your circulatory system. Blood vessels narrow from the inflammation which makes it even harder for the thickened blood to move.

Blood is not moving to and from the hands and feet as normal anymore. You’ll experience symptoms such as cold or numb hands and feet, brittle nails, dry or cracked skin, and hair loss on the feet. For paler skinned people, you will notice a blue tint to your hands and feet.

The consequences of numbness in the extremities due to high blood sugar levels can be dire. You could get a small cut or scratch on your foot and not even be aware of it. The fact that your immune system may be deficient due to the high blood sugar levels means that healing will be delayed or won’t occur at all. The lack of circulation makes it difficult for the immune system to even respond to the injury.

An infection may take hold. Fungal infections can lead to gangrene. So, can necrosis, which is the premature death of the cells due to a lack of blood. If gangrene is not treated early, it can result in amputation to prevent it from spreading. In addition to various other health benefits, exercise lowers the blood sugar levels. This allows blood to move more easily to the extremities. The fact that your heart rate increases during exercise stimulate your circulation system as well.

15. You may experience impotence or infertility

Men with high blood sugar levels often experience erectile dysfunction. This is a very sensitive subject, which most men won’t broach. But if you have developed this problem, you need to see your doctor for advice. High blood sugar levels thicken the blood and damage the blood vessels. This can affect the blood supply to the penis and affect the ability to obtain and sustain an erection. This can be frustrating for the man and his partner. It can lead to depression and other mood disorders.

Seeing a doctor is important. He/she will investigate the underlying causes of your erectile dysfunction. It can be related to high blood sugar levels, but heart disease, high blood pressure, or elevated cholesterol levels are also causes. If you have high blood sugar levels, maintain a healthy diet and exercise program to lower your blood sugar levels and prevent nerve damage. Counseling to address the stress and anxiety that comes with erectile dysfunction is also recommended. If necessary, your doctor will prescribe medicine for you.

For women, high blood sugar levels can affect their chances of falling pregnant. High sugar levels affect hormone levels in the body. Any disruption to the delicate balance of hormones in the body can prevent pregnancy. After prolonged high blood sugar levels, the body may develop insulin resistance. This will affect her body’s ability to ovulate. It also affects the ability of the egg to attach to the uterus after fertilization. Women with high blood sugar levels are also vulnerable to yeast infections which can prevent the sperm from reaching the egg.

For women planning to fall pregnant, it is vital to make sure your blood sugar levels are not high. If they are, you need to take steps to keep them under control to improve your chances of falling pregnant.

16. Fruity-smelling breath

If you notice your breath has a fruity smell, it’s a possible pre-cursor to diabetes and indicates that your blood sugar is dangerously high. There are two blood sugar-related causes of a fruity smelling breath.

The first is Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). This is a life-threatening condition and needs urgent medical intervention. It is triggered by the body’s production of high levels of ketones. These blood acids normally occur in the body. But high blood sugar levels can trigger an overproduction of ketones. This can be fatal if left untreated. If treated immediately, DKA has no lasting effects on the body.

But with no treatment, it can cause permanent damage to the body. It is a rare occurrence. But if you have high blood sugar and are not being treated for it, DKA may follow. The symptoms of DKA include stomach pain, nausea, fever, vomiting, and fatigue. When DKA progresses to its end stages, the person will go into a coma. About 31% of cases that include symptoms of fruity breath turn out to be DKA.

The second is Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Syndrome (HHS). This is a serious condition that will manifest in a person living with Type 2 diabetes. It is characterized by fatigue, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, and a fruity odor on the breath. It is not a common condition but is dangerous due to its rapid onset. If a person displays the symptoms of HHS, emergency medical care is necessary to avoid lasting complications or even death.

About 34% of cases that include signs of fruity breath turn out to be HHS

The remaining cause of a fruity odor on the breath is liver failure. This is the case in about 34% of instances where people report fruity smelling breath as one of their symptoms.

17. High fever

A high fever is an indication that something is wrong in the body. One of the things that it could indicate is high blood sugar. Or, if you have high blood sugar, a fever can exacerbate it.

A high fever may be a sign of high blood sugar, as it shows a weakness in the immune system. The immune system is designed to help the body fight off an infection or illness. A healthy immune system prevents you from getting sick. If you have high blood sugar, your body’s immune system is compromised. High blood sugar and diabetes are autoimmune disorders. The body is attacking itself. No germ causes the blood sugar to rise. It’s a malfunction in the body that prevents it from being metabolized.

Fever and dehydration cause a vicious cycle. When you have a fever, you dehydrate. Dehydration can lead to the worsening of a fever. If your blood sugar is high, you get very thirsty. As much as you drink, you lose because it’s eliminated from the body as urine. The possibility of dehydration is very real. A urinary tract is a place where people with high blood sugar and diabetes often experience infections. Other common places opportunistic infections may take hold are the vagina, gums, feet, and skin.

Any fever of 101F is an indication of a severe problem. If you have a family history of high blood sugar levels, it’s worthwhile to be tested. A doctor treating an extreme fever should check your blood sugar as a matter of routine.

18. Stroke

There is a causal relationship between high blood sugar levels and stroke. People with high blood sugar conditions such as diabetes and pre-diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to suffer a stroke. High blood sugar levels indicate that the body is unable to metabolize or break these sugars down. A hormone called insulin allows glucose to enter the cells. Insulin comes from the pancreas. When there is a problem with insulin production, it leads to problems with blood sugar levels. The glucose cannot enter the cells and give them energy. Instead, it remains in the blood.

As time passes, this accumulation of sugar in the blood can damage the blood vessels. These are the veins and arteries that the blood travels through during circulation. Fatty deposits and clots can form in the blood vessels due to the elevated blood sugar levels. When the fatty deposits become big enough, they can block a vein or artery. This deprives the brain of oxygen which results in a stroke. Alternatively, a clot may dislodge from the wall of a vein or artery and pass through the brain.

The consequences of a stroke can be paralysis or loss of specific brain and body functions. This can be temporary. In a lot of cases, however, it becomes permanent. This can have a profound effect on the sufferer’s quality of life.

If your doctor identifies that you are at risk of a stroke, it’s a good idea to test your blood sugar. It can be contributing to the rising chance of having a stroke. Risk factors for a stroke include high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and obesity in addition to high blood glucose levels. Other risk factors that can cause a stroke are smoking, drinking, and an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

19. Heart disease

High blood sugar levels can cause heart disease. If you start to experience the symptoms of heart disease, the chances of your blood sugar levels being elevated are high. Different symptoms tell you there’s something wrong with your heart. One of them is pain and discomfort in the chest. It means the heart is having problems with blood supply. Other symptoms of heart disease include nausea, stomach aches, heartburn, and indigestion.

Dizziness and lightheartedness are also indicators that your heart is struggling to function properly. A person with heart disease is permanently fatigued and struggles to gather enough energy even to do the simple things in life. They feel breathless because the heart is unable to supply enough oxygenated blood to the lungs.

High blood sugar levels with other risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and unhealthy diet cause blockages in the veins and arteries that lead to and from the heart. When one of them becomes completely blocked, or it contracts, the heart responds by spasming. This is called a heart attack. Even if you don’t have a heart attack, heart disease damages the heart and causes it to malfunction. The heart works harder than normal trying to sustain life and keep the body functioning. This causes the heart to wear out more quickly.

If you have a heart attack, it will spike your blood sugar levels immediately. This is the stress response to the cardiac event. You can improve the health of your heart if you take steps to do so. Changing your habits, especially your eating and exercising habits, can ease a lot of the strain on your heart. A healthy diet lowers the blood sugar levels in your body. If you’re diagnosed with heart disease, you need to take it as seriously as the proverbial heart attack. Otherwise, it may lead to the literal heart attack, which could be avoided.

20. High blood pressure

Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to elevated blood pressure levels (hypertension). High blood pressure is caused by the irregular contraction of the blood vessels which damages them over time. When your blood sugar is too high, it changes the way your blood vessels behave. It makes them contract more than they should. This narrowing of the blood vessels causes the blood pressure to rise. The heightened pressure on the walls of the blood vessels can cause them permanent damage.

It affects the elasticity of the blood vessels. They can become so damaged that they no longer work properly. They could even start to leak, which affects the entire circulatory system. When the blood vessels are damaged, it is hard for them to recover unless the cause of the damage is eliminated. High blood pressure is treated with medication. Patients are, however, expected to change their lifestyles as well. Those who smoke and drink are advised to stop. Healthy exercise patterns are encouraged.

What you need to know about type 1.5 diabetes

 

THIS ARTICLE IS KINDA INTRODUCTION, AND NOT SUPPOSED TO DIAGNOSE OR TREAT. IF YOU HAVE DIABETES PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN OR AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST IF NEEDED

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Outlook

Prevention

Overview 

Type 1.5 diabetes, also called latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), is a condition that shares characteristics of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

LADA is diagnosed during adulthood, and it sets in gradually, like type 2 diabetes. But unlike type 2 diabetes, LADA is an autoimmune disease and isn’t reversible with changes in diet and lifestyle.

Your beta cells stop functioning much more quickly if you have type 1.5 diabetes than if you have type 2. It’s estimated that 10 percent of people who have diabetes have LADA.

Type 1.5 diabetes can easily be — and is often — misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes. If you’re in a healthy weight range, have an active lifestyle, and have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, there’s a chance that what you actually have is LADA. 

Type 1.5 diabetes symptoms 

Type 1.5 diabetes symptoms can be vague at first. They may include:

frequent thirst

increased urination, including at night

unexplained weight loss

blurred vision and tingling nerves

If left untreated, type 1.5 diabetes can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a condition where the body can’t utilize sugar as fuel due to the absence of insulin and starts burning fat. This produces ketones, which are toxic for the body.

Type 1.5 diabetes causes 

To understand what causes type 1.5 diabetes, it helps to understand the difference between the other main types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune condition because it’s the result of your body destroying pancreatic beta cells. These cells are what helps your body make insulin, the hormone that allows you to store glucose (sugar) in your body. People who have type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin into their bodies to survive.

Type 2 diabetes is primarily characterized by your body resisting insulin’s effects. Insulin resistance is caused by genetic and environmental factors, such as a diet high in carbohydrates, inactivity, and obesity. Type 2 diabetes can be managed with lifestyle interventions and oral medication, but many may also need insulin to keep their blood sugar under control.

Type 1.5 diabetes can be triggered by damage done to your pancreas from antibodies against insulin-producing cells. Genetic factors may also be involved, such as a family history of autoimmune conditions. When the pancreas becomes damaged in type 1.5 diabetes, the body destroys pancreatic beta cells, as with type 1. If the person with type 1.5 diabetes also happens to be overweight or obese, insulin resistance might also be present.

Type 1.5 diabetes diagnosis 

Type 1.5 diabetes occurs in adulthood , which is why it’s commonly mistaken for type 2 diabetes. Most people with this type of diabetes are over the age of 40, and some can develop the condition even in their 70s or 80s.

The process of getting a LADA diagnosis can take some time. Often, people (and doctors) may assume that they have type 2 diabetes because it developed later in life.

Type 2 diabetes treatments, like metformin, can work to manage symptoms of type 1.5 diabetes until your pancreas stops making insulin. That’s the point at which many people discover that they were dealing with LADA all along. Typically, the progression to needing insulin is much faster than with type 2 diabetes, and the response to medication for lowering blood sugar levels (oral hypoglycemic drugs) is poor.

People who have type 1.5 diabetes tend to meet the following criteria:

They’re not obese.

They’re over the age of 30 at the time of diagnosis.

They’ve been unable to manage their diabetes symptoms with oral medications or lifestyle and dietary changes.

Tests to diagnose any type of diabetes include:

a fasting plasma glucose test, done on a blood draw that’s conducted after you’ve fasted for eight hours

an oral glucose tolerance test, done on a blood draw that’s conducted after you’ve fasted for eight hours, two hours after you have consumed a high-glucose beverage

a random plasma glucose test, done on a blood draw that tests your blood sugar without taking into account the last time that you ate

Your blood can also be tested for the specific antibodies that are present when the type of diabetes you have is caused by an autoimmune reaction in your body.

Type 1.5 diabetes treatment 

Type 1.5 diabetes results from your body not producing enough insulin. But since its onset is gradual, oral medication that treats type 2 diabetes can work, at least at first, to treat it.

People who have type 1.5 diabetes also may test positive for at least one of the antibodies that people who have type 1 diabetes tend to have. As your body slows down its production of insulin, you’ll need insulin as part of your treatment. People who have LADA often require insulin within five yearsTrusted Source of diagnosis.

Insulin treatment is the preferred treatment method for type 1.5 diabetes. There are many different types of insulin and insulin regimens. The dosage of insulin that you need may vary daily, so monitoring your glucose levels through frequent blood sugar testing is essential.

Type 1.5 diabetes outlook 

Life expectancy for people who have LADA is similar to people who have other types of diabetes. Higher blood sugar over a sustained period of time can lead to diabetes complications , such as kidney disease, cardiovascular problems, eye disease, and neuropathy, which can adversely affect prognosis. But with good blood sugar control, many of these complications can be prevented.

In the past, people who had type 1 diabetes had a shortened life expectancy . But improved diabetes treatments are changing that statistic. With good blood sugar control, a normal life expectancy is possible.

Some experts feel that getting treated with insulin from the outset of your diagnosis can help preserve your beta cell function. If that’s true, getting a correct diagnosis as soon as possible is quite important.

Type 1.5 diabetes prevention 

There’s currently no way to prevent type 1.5 diabetes. Like type 1 diabetes, there are genetic factors at play in the progression of this condition. Early, correct diagnosis and symptom management is the best way to avoid complications from type 1.5 diabetes.

DIABETES AN OVERVIEW

THIS ARTICLE IS KINDA INTRODUCTION, AND NOT SUPPOSED TO DIAGNOSE OR TREAT. IF YOU HAVE DIABETES PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN OR AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST IF NEEDED

What is diabetes?
Diabetes happens when your body isn’t able to take up sugar (glucose) into its cells and use it for energy. This results in a build up of extra sugar in your bloodstream.


If you have diabetes, your body isn’t able to properly process and use glucose from the food you eat. There are different types of diabetes, each with different causes, but they all share the common problem of having too much glucose in your bloodstream. Treatments include medications and/or insulins. Some types of diabetes can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Symptoms and Causes Diagnosis and Tests Management and Treatment Prevention

Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to serious consequences, causing damage to a wide range of your body’s organs and tissues – including your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

Why is my blood glucose level high? How does this happen?
The process of digestion includes breaking down the food you eat into various different nutrient sources. When you eat carbohydrates (for example, bread, rice, pasta), your body breaks this down into sugar (glucose). When glucose is in your bloodstream, it needs help – a “key” – to get into its final destination where it’s used, which is inside your body’s cells (cells make up your body’s tissues and organs). This help or “key” is insulin.

Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas, an organ located behind your stomach. Your pancreas releases insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin acts as the “key” that unlocks the cell wall “door,” which allows glucose to enter your body’s cells. Glucose provides the “fuel” or energy tissues and organs need to properly function.

If you have diabetes:

Your pancreas doesn’t make any insulin or enough insulin.
Or

Your pancreas makes insulin but your body’s cells don’t respond to it and can’t use it as it normally should.
If glucose can’t get into your body’s cells, it stays in your bloodstream and your blood glucose level rises.

What are the different types of diabetes?
The types of diabetes are:

Type 1 diabetes: This type is an autoimmune disease, meaning your body attacks itself. In this case, the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas are destroyed. Up to 10% of people who have diabetes have Type 1. It’s usually diagnosed in children and young adults (but can develop at any age). It was once better known as “juvenile” diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. This is why it is also called insulin-dependent diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes: With this type, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or your body’s cells don’t respond normally to the insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes. Up to 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2. It usually occurs in middle-aged and older people. Other common names for Type 2 include adult-onset diabetes and insulin-resistant diabetes. Your parents or grandparents may have called it “having a touch of sugar.”
Prediabetes: This type is the stage before Type 2 diabetes. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be officially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes: This type develops in some women during their pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy. However, if you have gestational diabetes you’re at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later on in life.
Less common types of diabetes include:

How common is diabetes?
Some 34.2 million people of all ages – about 1 in 10 – have diabetes in the U.S. Some 7.3 million adults aged 18 and older (about 1 in 5) are unaware that they have diabetes (just under 3% of all U.S. adults). The number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes increases with age. More than 26% of adults age 65 and older (about 1 in 4) have diabetes.

Who gets diabetes? What are the risk factors?
Factors that increase your risk differ depending on the type of diabetes you ultimately develop.

Risk factors for Type 1 diabetes include:

Having a family history (parent or sibling) of Type 1 diabetes.
Injury to the pancreas (such as by infection, tumor, surgery or accident).
Presence of autoantibodies (antibodies that mistakenly attack your own body’s tissues or organs).
Physical stress (such as surgery or illness).
Exposure to illnesses caused by viruses.
Risk factors for prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes include:

Family history (parent or sibling) of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes.
Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American race or Pacific Islander.
Being overweight.
Having high blood pressure.
Having low HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) and high triglyceride level.
Being physically inactive.
Being age 45 or older.
Having gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
Having polycystic ovary syndrome.
Having a history of heart disease or stroke.
Being a smoker.
Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

Family history (parent or sibling) of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes.
Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian-American.
Being overweight before your pregnancy.
Being over 25 years of age.

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
What causes diabetes?
The cause of diabetes, regardless of the type, is having too much glucose circulating in your bloodstream. However, the reason why your blood glucose levels are high differs depending on the type of diabetes.

Causes of Type 1 diabetes: This is an immune system disease. Your body attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Without insulin to allow glucose to enter your cells, glucose builds up in your bloodstream. Genes may also play a role in some patients. Also, a virus may trigger the immune system attack.
Cause of Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes: Your body’s cells don’t allow insulin to work as it should to let glucose into its cells. Your body’s cells have become resistant to insulin. Your pancreas can’t keep up and make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Glucose levels rise in your bloodstream.
Gestational diabetes: Hormones produced by the placenta during your pregnancy make your body’s cells more resistant to insulin. Your pancreas can’t make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Too much glucose remains in your bloodstream.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Symptoms of diabetes include:

Increased thirst.
Weak, tired feeling.
Blurred vision.
Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
Slow-healing sores or cuts.
Unplanned weight loss.
Frequent urination.
Frequent unexplained infections.
Dry mouth.
Other symptoms

In women: Dry and itchy skin, and frequent yeast infections or urinary tract infections.
In men: Decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, decreased muscle strength.
Type 1 diabetes symptoms: Symptoms can develop quickly – over a few weeks or months. Symptoms begin when you’re young – as a child, teen or young adult. Additional symptoms include nausea, vomiting or stomach pains and yeast infections or urinary tract infections.

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes symptoms: You may not have any symptoms at all or may not notice them since they develop slowly over several years. Symptoms usually begin to develop when you’re an adult, but prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in all age groups.

Gestational diabetes: You typically will not notice symptoms. Your obstetrician will test you for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of your pregnancy.

What are the complications of diabetes?
If your blood glucose level remains high over a long period of time, your body’s tissues and organs can be seriously damaged. Some complications can be life-threatening over time.

Complications include:

Cardiovascular issues including coronary artery disease, chest pain, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries).
Nerve damage (neuropathy) that causes numbing and tingling that starts at toes or fingers then spreads.
Kidney damage (nephropathy) that can lead to kidney failure or the need for dialysis or transplant.
Eye damage (retinopathy) that can lead to blindness; cataracts, glaucoma.
Foot damage including nerve damage, poor blood flow and poor healing of cuts and sores.
Skin infections.
Erectile dysfunction.
Hearing loss.
Depression.
Dementia.
Dental problems.
Complications of gestational diabetes:

In the mother: Preeclampsia (high blood pressure, excess protein in urine, leg/feet swelling), risk of gestational diabetes during future pregnancies and risk of diabetes later in life.

In the newborn: Higher-than-normal birth weight, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes over time and death shortly after birth.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS
Diagnosing Diabetes
How is diabetes diagnosed?
Diabetes is diagnosed and managed by checking your glucose level in a blood test. There are three tests that can measure your blood glucose level: fasting glucose test, random glucose test and A1c test.

Fasting plasma glucose test: This test is best done in the morning after an eight hour fast (nothing to eat or drink except sips of water).
Random plasma glucose test: This test can be done any time without the need to fast.
A1c test: This test, also called HbA1C or glycated hemoglobin test, provides your average blood glucose level over the past two to three months. This test measures the amount of glucose attached to hemoglobin, the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen. You don’t need to fast before this test.
Oral glucose tolerance test: In this test, blood glucose level is first measured after an overnight fast. Then you drink a sugary drink. Your blood glucose level is then checked at hours one, two and three.
Type of test
Fasting
glucose test
Normal(mg/dL)
Less than 100

​

Prediabetes(mg/dL)
100-125
Diabetes(mg/dL)
126 or higher
Random (anytime)
glucose test
Normal(mg/dL)
Less than 140

​

Prediabetes(mg/dL)
140-199
Diabetes(mg/dL)
200 or higher
A1c test
Normal(mg/dL)
Less than 5.7%

​

Prediabetes(mg/dL)
5.7 – 6.4%
Diabetes(mg/dL)
6.5% or higher
Oral glucose
tolerance test
Normal(mg/dL)
Less than 140
Prediabetes(mg/dL)
140-199
Diabetes(mg/dL)
200 or higher
Gestational diabetes tests: There are two blood glucose tests if you are pregnant. With a glucose challenge test, you drink a sugary liquid and your glucose level is checked one hour later. You don’t need to fast before this test. If this test shows a higher than normal level of glucose (over 140 ml/dL), an oral glucose tolerance test will follow (as described above).

Type 1 diabetes: If your healthcare provider suspects Type 1 diabetes, blood and urine samples will be collected and tested. The blood is checked for autoantibodies (an autoimmune sign that your body is attacking itself). The urine is checked for the presence of ketones (a sign your body is burning fat as its energy supply). These signs indicate Type 1 diabetes.

Who should be tested for diabetes?
If you have symptoms or risk factors for diabetes, you should get tested. The earlier diabetes is found, the earlier management can begin and complications can be lessened or prevented. If a blood test determines you have prediabetes, you and your healthcare professional can work together to make lifestyle changes (e.g. weight loss, exercise, healthy diet) to prevent or delay developing Type 2 diabetes.

Additional specific testing advice based on risk factors:

Testing for Type 1 diabetes: Test in children and young adults who have a family history of diabetes. Less commonly, older adults may also develop Type 1 diabetes. Therefore, testing in adults who come to the hospital and are found to be in diabetic ketoacidosis is important. Ketoacidosis a dangerous complication that can occur in people with Type 1 diabetes.
Testing for type 2 diabetes: Test adults age 45 or older, those between 19 and 44 who are overweight and have one or more risk factors, women who have had gestational diabetes, children between 10 and 18 who are overweight and have at least two risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes: Test all pregnant women who have had a diagnosis of diabetes. Test all pregnant women between weeks 24 and 28 of their pregnancy. If you have other risk factors for gestational diabetes, your obstetrician may test you earlier.
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT
Managing Diabetes
How is diabetes managed?
Diabetes affects your whole body. To best manage diabetes, you’ll need to take steps to keep your risk factors under control and within the normal range, including:

Keep your blood glucose levels as near to normal as possible by following a diet plan, taking prescribed medication and increasing your activity level.
Maintain your blood cholesterol (HDL and LDL levels) and triglyceride levels as near the normal ranges as possible.
Control your blood pressure. Your blood pressure should not be over 140/90 mmHg.
You hold the keys to managing your diabetes by:

Planning what you eat and following a healthy meal plan. Follow a Mediterranean diet (vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruits, healthy fats, low sugar) or Dash diet. These diets are high in nutrition and fiber and low in fats and calories. See a registered dietitian for help understanding nutrition and meal planning.
Exercising regularly. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Walk, swim or find some activity you enjoy.
Losing weight if you are overweight. Work with your healthcare team to develop a weight-loss plan.
Taking medication and insulin, if prescribed, and closely following recommendations on how and when to take it.
Monitoring your blood glucose and blood pressure levels at home.
Keeping your appointments with your healthcare providers and having laboratory tests completed as ordered by your doctor.
Quitting smoking (if you smoke).
You have a lot of control – on a day-to-day basis – in managing your diabetes!

How do I check my blood glucose level? Why is this important?
Checking your blood glucose level is important because the results help guide decisions about what to eat, your physical activity and any needed medication and insulin adjustments or additions.

The most common way to check your blood glucose level is with a blood glucose meter. With this test, you prick the side of your finger, apply the drop of blood to a test strip, insert the strip into the meter and the meter will show your glucose level at that moment in time. Your healthcare provider will tell you how often you’ll need to check your glucose level.

What is continuous glucose monitoring?
Advancements in technology have given us another way to monitor glucose levels. Continuous glucose monitoring uses a tiny sensor inserted under your skin. You don’t need to prick your finger. Instead, the sensor measures your glucose and can display results anytime during the day or night. Ask your healthcare provider about continuous glucose monitors to see if this is an option for you.

What should my blood glucose level be?
Ask your healthcare team what your blood glucose level should be. They may have a specific target range for you. In general, though, most people try to keep their blood glucose levels at these targets:

Before a meal: between 80 and 130 mg/dL.
About two hours after the start of a meal: less than 180 mg/dL.
What happens if my blood glucose level is low?
Having a blood glucose level that is lower than the normal range (usually below 70 mg/dL) is called hypoglycemia. This is a sign that your body gives out that you need sugar.

Symptoms you might experience if you have hypoglycemia include:

Weakness or shaking.
Moist skin, sweating.
Fast heartbeat.
Dizziness.
Sudden hunger.
Confusion.
Pale skin.
Numbness in mouth or tongue.
Irritability, nervousness.
Unsteadiness.
Nightmares, bad dreams, restless sleep.
Blurred vision.
Headaches, seizures.
You might pass out if your hypoglycemia is not managed.

What happens if my blood glucose level is high?
If you have too much glucose in your blood, you have a condition called hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is defined as:

A blood glucose level greater than 125 mg/dL while in the fasting state (nothing to eat or drink for at least eight hours).
or

A blood glucose level greater than 180 mg/dL one to two hours after eating.
How is diabetes treated?
Treatments for diabetes depend on your type of diabetes, how well controlled your blood glucose level is and your other existing health conditions.

Type 1 diabetes: If you have this type, you must take insulin every day. Your pancreas no longer makes insulin.
Type 2 diabetes: If you have this type, your treatments can include medications (both for diabetes and for conditions that are risk factors for diabetes), insulin and lifestyle changes such as losing weight, making healthy food choices and being more physically active.
Prediabetes: If you have prediabetes, the goal is to keep you from progressing to diabetes. Treatments are focused on treatable risk factors, such as losing weight by eating a healthy diet (like the Mediterranean diet) and exercising (at least five days a week for 30 minutes). Many of the strategies used to prevent diabetes are the same as those recommended to treat diabetes (see prevention section of this article).
Gestational diabetes: If you have this type and your glucose level is not too high, your initial treatment might be modifying your diet and getting regular exercise. If the target goal is still not met or your glucose level is very high, your healthcare team may start medication or insulin.
Oral medications and insulin work in one of these ways to treat your diabetes:

Stimulates your pancreas to make and release more insulin.
Slows down the release of glucose from your liver (extra glucose is stored in your liver).
Blocks the breakdown of carbohydrates in your stomach or intestines so that your tissues are more sensitive to (better react to) insulin.
Helps rid your body of glucose through increased urination.
What oral medications are approved to treat diabetes?
Over 40 medications have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetes. It’s beyond the scope of this article to review all of these drugs.. Your healthcare team will decide if medication is right for you. If so, they’ll decide which specific drug(s) are best to treat your diabetes.

Always take your medicine exactly as your healthcare prescribes it. Discuss your specific questions and concerns with them.

How is insulin taken? How many different ways are there to take insulin?
Insulin is available in several different formats. You and your healthcare provider will decide which delivery method is right for you based on your preference, lifestyle, insulin needs and insurance plan. Here’s a quick review of available types.

Needle and syringe: With this method, you’ll insert a needle into a vial of insulin, pull back the syringe and fill the needle with the proper dose of insulin. You’ll inject the insulin into your belly or thigh, buttocks or upper arm – rotating the injection spots. You may need to give yourself one or more shots a day to maintain your target blood glucose level.
Insulin pen: This device looks like a pen with a cap. They come prefilled with insulin or with insulin cartridges that are inserted and replaced after use.
Insulin pump: Insulin pumps are small, computerized devices, about the size of a small cell phone that you wear on your belt, in your pocket, or under your clothes. They deliver rapid-acting insulin 24 hours a day through a small flexible tube called a cannula. The cannula is inserted under the skin using a needle. The needle is then removed leaving only the flexible tube under the skin. You replaces the cannula every two to three days. Another type of insulin pump is attached directly to your skin and does not use tubes.
Artificial pancreas (also called a closed loop insulin delivery system): This system uses an insulin pump linked to a continuous glucose monitor. The monitor checks your blood glucose levels every five minutes and then the pump delivers the needed dose of insulin.
Insulin inhaler: Inhalers allow you to breath in powdered inhaler through an inhaler device that you insert into your mouth. The insulin is inhaled into your lungs, then absorbed into your bloodstream. Inhalers are only approved for use by adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Insulin injection port: This delivery method involves the placement of a short tube into tissue beneath your skin. The port is held in place with an adhesive patch. You use a needle and syringe or insulin pen and inject the insulin through this port. The port is changed every few days. The port provides a single site for injection instead of having to rotate injection sites.
Jet injector: This is a needleless delivery method that uses high pressure to send a fine spray of insulin through your skin.
Are there other treatment options for diabetes?
Yes. There are two types of transplantations that might be an option for a select number of patients who have Type 1 diabetes. A pancreas transplant is possible. However, getting an organ transplant requires taking immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of your life and dealing with the side effects of these drugs. However, if the transplant is successful, you’ll likely be able to stop taking insulin.

Another type of transplant is a pancreatic islet transplant. In this transplant, clusters of islet cells (the cells that make insulin) are transplanted from an organ donor into your pancreas to replace those that have been destroyed.

Another treatment under research for Type 1 diabetes is immunotherapy. Since Type 1 is an immune system disease, immunotherapy holds promise as a way to use medication to turn off the parts of the immune system that cause Type 1 disease.

Bariatric surgery is another treatment option that’s an indirect treatment for diabetes. Bariatric surgery is an option if you have Type 2 diabetes, are obese (body mass index over 35) and considered a good candidate for this type of surgery. Much improved blood glucose levels are seen in people who have lost a significant amount of weight.

Of course other medications are prescribed to treat any existing health problems that contribute to increasing your risk of developing diabetes. These conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other heart-related diseases.

PREVENTION
Can prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes be prevented?
Although diabetes risk factors like family history and race can’t be changed, there are other risk factors that you do have some control over. Adopting some of the healthy lifestyle habits listed below can improve these modifiable risk factors and help to decrease your chances of getting diabetes:

Eat a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean or Dash diet. Keep a food diary and calorie count of everything you eat. Cutting 250 calories per day can help you lose ½ pound per week.
Get physically active. Aim for 30 minutes a day at least five days a week. Start slow and work up to this amount or break up these minutes into more doable 10 minute segments. Walking is great exercise.
Lose weight if you are overweight. Don’t lose weight if you are pregnant, but check with your obstetrician about healthy weight gain during your pregnancy.
Lower your stress. Learn relaxation techniques, deep breathing exercises, mindful meditation, yoga and other helpful strategies.
Limit alcohol intake. Men should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages a day; women should drink no more than one.
Get an adequate amount of sleep (typically 7 to 9 hours).
Quit smoking.
Take medications – to manage existing risk factors for heart disease (e.g., high blood pressure, cholesterol) or to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes – as directed by your healthcare provider.
If you think you have symptoms of prediabetes, see your provider.
Can Type 1 diabetes be prevented?
No. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, meaning your body attacks itself. Scientists aren’t sure why someone’s body would attack itself. Other factors may be involved too, such as genetic changes.

Can the long-term complications of diabetes be prevented?
Chronic complications are responsible for most illness and death associated with diabetes. Chronic complications usually appear after several years of elevated blood sugars (hyperglycemia). Since patients with Type 2 diabetes may have elevated blood sugars for several years before being diagnosed, these patients may have signs of complications at the time of diagnosis.

The complications of diabetes have been described earlier in this article. Although the complications can be wide ranging and affect many organ systems, there are many basic principles of prevention that are shared in common. These include:

Take your diabetes medications (pills and/or insulin) as prescribed by your doctor.
Take all of your other medications to treat any risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, other heart-related problems and other health conditions) as directed by your doctor.
Monitor your blood sugars closely.
Follow a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean or Dash diet. Do not skip meals.
Exercise regularly, at least 30 minutes five days a week.
Lose weight if you are overweight.
Keep yourself well-hydrated (water is your best choice).
Quit smoking, if you smoke.
See your doctor regularly to monitor your diabetes and to watch for complications.
OUTLOOK / PROGNOSIS
What should I expect if I have been diagnosed with diabetes?
If you have diabetes, the most important thing you can do is keep your blood glucose level within the target range recommended by your healthcare provider. In general, these targets are:

Before a meal: between 80 and 130 mg/dL.
About two hours after the start of a meal: less than 180 mg/dL.
You will need to closely follow a treatment plan, which will likely include following a customized diet plan, exercising 30 minutes five times a week, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol and getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Always take your medications and insulin as instructed by your provider.

LIVING WITH
When should I call my doctor?
If you haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes, you should see your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of diabetes. If you already have been diagnosed with diabetes, you should contact your provider if your blood glucose levels are outside of your target range, if current symptoms worsen or if you develop any new symptoms.

Does eating sugary foods cause diabetes?
Sugar itself doesn’t directly cause diabetes. Eating foods high in sugar content can lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for developing diabetes. Eating more sugar than recommended – American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons a day (25 grams) for women and nine teaspoons (36 grams) for men – leads to all kinds of health harms in addition to weight gain.

These health harms are all risk factors for the development of diabetes or can worsen complications. Weight gain can:

Raise blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cause fat buildup in your liver.
Cause tooth decay.
What types of healthcare professionals might be part of my diabetes treatment team?
Most people with diabetes see their primary healthcare provider first. Your provider might refer you to an endocrinologist/pediatric endocrinologist, a physician who specializes in diabetes care. Other members of your healthcare team may include an ophthalmologist (eye doctor), nephrologist (kidney doctor), cardiologist (heart doctor), podiatrist (foot doctor), neurologist (nerve and brain doctor), gastroenterologist (digestive tract doctor), registered dietician, nurse practitioners/physician assistants, diabetes educator, pharmacist, personal trainer, social worker, mental health professional, transplant team and others.

How often do I need to see my primary diabetes healthcare professional?
In general, if you are being treated with insulin shots, you should see your doctor at least every three to four months. If you are treated with pills or are managing diabetes through diet, you should be seen at least every four to six months. More frequent visits may be needed if your blood sugar is not controlled or if complications of diabetes are worsening.

Can diabetes be cured or reversed?
Although these seem like simple questions, the answers are not so simple. Depending on the type of your diabetes and its specific cause, it may or may not be possible to reverse your diabetes. Successfully reversing diabetes is more commonly called achieving “remission.”

Type 1 diabetes is an immune system disease with some genetic component. This type of diabetes can’t be reversed with traditional treatments. You need lifelong insulin to survive. Providing insulin through an artificial pancreas (insulin pump plus continuous glucose monitor and computer program) is the most advanced way of keeping glucose within a tight range at all times – most closely mimicking the body. The closest thing toward a cure for Type 1 is a pancreas transplant or a pancreas islet transplant. Transplant candidates must meet strict criteria to be eligible. It’s not an option for everyone and it requires taking immunosuppressant medications for life and dealing with the side effects of these drugs.

It’s possible to reverse prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes with a lot of effort and motivation. You’d have to reverse all your risk factors for disease. To do this means a combination of losing weight, exercising regularly and eating healthy (for example, a plant-based, low carb, low sugar, healthy fat diet). These efforts should also lower your cholesterol numbers and blood pressure to within their normal range. Bariatric surgery (surgery that makes your stomach smaller) has been shown to achieve remission in some people with Type 2 diabetes. This is a significant surgery that has its own risks and complications.

If you have gestational diabetes, this type of diabetes ends with the birth of your child. However, having gestational diabetes is a risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that diabetes can be effectively managed, treated and controlled. The extent to which your Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can be controlled is a discussion to have with your healthcare provider.

Can diabetes kill you?
Yes, it’s possible that if diabetes remains undiagnosed and uncontrolled (severely high or severely low glucose levels) it can cause devastating harm to your body. Diabetes can cause heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and coma. These complications can lead to your death. Cardiovascular disease in particular is the leading cause of death in adults with diabetes.

SMOKING IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTESITS CAUSES, RISK FACTORS AND TREATMENT PREVENTION

 

INTRODUCTION:

Smoking:

    “Smoking refers to the inhalation and exhalation of fumes from burning tobacco in cigars, cigarettes and pipes.” 

What are in Cigarettes?

  •  Over 4000 chemicals!!!!
  • (60 of which are carcinogenic) …. 

Smoking is a major public health problem throughout the world, especially for young adults. It’s estimated that 99% of smokers first try smoking before age 26. Smoking is associated with a multitude of health problems, including (but not limited to) lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and leads to an average of a decade of life lost. 

Cigarette smoking among college students is a particularly critical problem due to the high smoking rates in the 18 to 25 age group, and smoke free campus policies are one of the most important tools in bringing this rate down.

There is evidence that prolonged smoking among the adult people causes a wide range of diseases, leading to premature morbidity and mortality. Smoking is known to be associated with about 40 diseases. The risk of developing cancer among smokers is 23 times more than that of non-smokers.

Global scenario:

Tobacco smoking remains a serious threat to global health, killing nearly 6 million people each year and causing excessive health-care costs and lost productivity. About 80 % of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.

     Tobacco is the most important avoidable risk for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancers, chronic lung disease, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. With the increasing prevalence of smoking in developing world over the years, NCDs will double the burden of infective and non-infective diseases.

The majority of lifelong smokers begin smoking habits before the age of 24, which makes the college years a critical time for tobacco companies to convince college students to pick up the habit of cigarette smoking.

  • There are about 1 billion smokers across the world with around 70.0% of them living in low-income countries. 
  • Smoking is responsible for the deaths of 1 of every 10 adults, causing around 7 million deaths across the world each year, with the life expectancy for smokers at least 10 years less than for non-smokers.
  •  The global incidence of cancer among young adults was 43.3 per 100 000 people and the corresponding mortality rate was 15.9 per 100, 000 people. Undergraduate students are at high risk of smoking due to their young age, easy access to tobacco products, intimate association with smoking peers and influence of friends and parental smoking.
  • Mostly, Students may start to smoke as a way of expressing their transition into adulthood and, as a consequence, are more likely to smoke than the general population. 
  • Some students may smoke in order to fit in, as they are more likely to become involved with different kinds of sociocultural groups while on campus. 
  • If a student initiates smoking, it becomes difficult to stop and the student is likely to develop a regular smoking pattern for life. 
  • According to Senol et al., among the original non-smokers who enter university, one-third become regular smokers by the end of their studies. 
  • Masjedi et al. also showed that the prevalence of smoking is significantly higher in students in their last year of study compared with those in their first year. 
  • The estimated cost of tobacco in low- and middle-income countries is 10% of the student’s income, so the money paid for tobacco is diverted from nutrition, education and medical care.

Harmful effects of Smoking:

  • Heart Diseases
  • Stroke
  • Emphysema
  • Lung, throat, stomach and bladder cancer.
  • Increase risk of infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.
  • Bad skin (skin tumor)
  • Bad breath
  • Bad smelling clothes and hair.
  • Reduce athletic performances.
  • Increased risk of illnesses.
  • Greater risk of injuries and slower healing time.

Reasons for Teenagers to smoke:

  • Some wants to act cool or act like someone special or dangerous.
  • They want to get attention.
  • They are curious about cigarettes.
  • Peer pressure
  • They are stressed and nervous.
  • Young people are attracted to the image.
  • Because their friends and family members are smokers.
  • Cultural influence.

People say that they use tobacco for many different reasons—like stress relief, pleasure, or in social situations. One of the first steps to quitting is to learn why you feel like using tobacco.

Their parents are smokers. Peer pressure—their friends encourage them to try cigarettes and to keep smoking. They see smoking as a way of rebelling and showing independence.
Many smokers’ reliance on cigarettes is heightened by emotional and psychological factors, such as living or working in a stressful environment and having friends who also smoke: these factors are in abundance at university.

Risk Factors: 

Smoking is a well-established risk factor for various diseases including lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and lung disease. Passive smoking has been associated with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and bronchial asthma in children. 

The WHO estimates that smoking will kill more than five million people in a year.  Despite its health risks, the use of tobacco or smoking is common throughout the world, especially in developing countries like Pakistan. 

Cigarette smoking in college is seen as a social activity by those who participate in it, and more than half of the students that are users do not consider themselves smokers. This may be because most college students plan to quit smoking by the time that they graduate.

The prevalence of cigarette smoking by college students increased through the 1990s, but has since leveled off and seen decreases in recent years. Education on the dangers of cigarettes is seen as a leading cause for this decrease. This activity is being seen as less socially acceptable than it was in the past.

Cigarette smoking on college campuses has become an important public health issue and there has been increase in campus wide smoking bans and other preventive programs to reduce the rates of students smoking. The cause of these bans are now starting to be discovered and there is controversy that goes along with implementing them across educational institutes.  Protests against smoking bans are seen as a possible threat at different educational institutes. Some smokers may also choose to neglect the bans and continue to smoke cigarettes regardless.

Predictors associated with youth tobacco usage:

Certain social, economic, and environmental factors can be associated with the prediction of youth and an increased use in tobacco. Risk factors include; 

  • Lower socioeconomic status
  • Having parents, close relatives, friends, or guardians that smoke
  • Acceptance and positive views of smoking by peers
  • Incompletion of higher levels of education
  • High availability of and exposure to tobacco products
  • Violent behavior

Stress and emotion:

Students note that smoking cigarettes reduces anxiety, and smoking often occurs after stressful events or in stressful situations. Studies find that depressed college students are more likely to smoke and have a more difficult time quitting than non-depressed college students. 

31.9% of college smokers attribute their smoking behavior as a means to alleviate their depression. 

Weight loss: 

  • For women in particular, smoking is a tool for weight loss and weight management. 
  • Nicotine in cigarettes is a successful appetite suppressant, which contributes to the use of cigarettes as a dieting tool. The pressure to be thin along with a need for social approval drives many young college women to smoke.
  • Body-conscious college women are also shown to be at higher risk for the continuation of smoking. 
  • Women who discontinue the use of nicotine as an appetite suppressant tend to gain weight initially, and women who are especially concerned with body weight will see this as a reason to continue smoking.
  • The media and tobacco advertising play an increasing role in perpetuating the thin body ideal. 
  • Studies show the more exposure women have to images of thin women, the lower their body satisfaction, and the more likely they are to want to diet. 

Social activity

Smoking is viewed, by some students, as a way to socialize and take study breaks. 

Social Smokers:

Today’s smoking culture includes a subpopulation of smokers called “social smokers”. Although there may be different explanations of what a social smoker is, many college students define “social smokers” as those who use tobacco in more social activities and find it essential for socializing, rather than using tobacco on a regular basis, dictated by nicotine dependence.

Social smokers are not addicted to smoking, or worried about the social acceptability of their smoking habits. In a study conducted in 2004, 51% of current college smokers stated that they primarily smoked with other people and in social activities. 71% of occasional smokers smoked in a social situation, compared to daily smokers, 19% of which smoke in social environment. 

Students who started smoking within the past two years of the study were more than twice as likely to be social smokers as students who had been smoking for a longer period of time prior to the study. 

Characteristics of social smokers have been found to include more females and other demographic characteristics, spent more time socializing with friends, were binge drinkers and had a high importance for the arts. 

Lastly, social smokers don’t perceive themselves at risk to tobacco related illnesses, nor believe they will ever become nicotine dependent. Since social smokers don’t think they’ll become dependent on nicotine, they don’t plan on quitting during college, but have intentions to quit once they graduate. 

Reducing Smoking among College Students

  • Although the increasing number of smoke free college campuses is great news for the problem of smoking among college students.
  • The effort must be continued if we’re going to reduce the number of smokers in society. More colleges need to be encouraged to go smoke free, and prevention campaigns targeted specifically at college-age smokers and social or non-daily smokers should be used.
  • There are many effective approaches to quitting, and these should be made as easily available to college students as possible. 
  •  
  • Because                      
  • Medications such as Zyban and Chantix are very effective, but alternative nicotine products like patches, gums, inhalers, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes can all have a positive effect on smoking rates. 
  • In some cases, e-cigarettes are exempt from smoke-free campus policies, and this could serve as an effective incentive to switch to lower-risk nicotine sources for students who can’t or don’t want to quit.

Regardless of which approach is used, reducing smoking among college students and young people is the most effective way to create a tobacco-free world. It cuts off the tobacco industry’s supply of new customers at the source.

Mental Health Issues in aPost-Covid-19 Pandemic World

Introduction:

The word Corona means “crown” in Latin. Coronavirus got their name from the way that they look under a microscope. The virus contains a core of genetic material surrounded by a cover with protein spikes. This gives it the appearance of a crown.

Coronavirus is zoonotic, meaning that the virus is transmitted between animals and humans. Coronavirus cause illnesses such as respiratory diseases or gastrointestinal diseases. Respiratory diseases can range from the common cold to more severe diseases e.g. 

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first identified in December 2019, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has resulted in a global pandemic which continues to impact people in many ways. It has changed the social life of people across the world and has added new isolation measures and quarantine to their life. This isolation is known to affect their mental health due to the loss of a true human connection and surging feelings of stress and anxiety during times of uncertainty. The public health event it caused has led to delays in starting schools and universities and a switch to online modes of teaching. 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus became a global pandemic, with more than 150 million cases confirmed, and 3.2 million lives lost in more than 200 countries by the end of April 2021. Although considered as a respiratory disease, COVID-19 has become increasing recognized as neurotropic since patients might experience mild to severe neurological symptoms. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), previous studies reported that half of the COVID-19 patients have brain structural abnormalities, including white matter hyper intensities and frontal-temporal gray matter volume abnormalities.

While the control of widespread and care of patients are the most crucial tasks, new research is now suggesting that there may be long-term consequences, in those 60 million people who recovered from COVID-19 infections. Such as 

  • Fatigue  
  • Muscle weakness, 
  • Sleep difficulties, 
  • Anxiety and
  • Depression

 Crucially, COVID-19 survivors who experienced fear for survival, are vulnerable to develop post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). A recent study found that COVID-19 survivors in Italy suffered severe PTSS shortly after they were discharged (e.g., within 1 month) from the hospital. However, it is still unknown whether COVID-19 survivors suffer longer-term PTSS (e.g., about 3 months to 6 months), and whether their PTSS are associated with apparent brain abnormalities.

The number of cases has continued to rise, with cases and deaths continuing to rise in many countries, while the impact of social distancing and quarantine measures has had a measurable impact on the economy. 

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. A pandemic is defined as “occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population.” In March 2020, the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reached all countries of the Western world. To reduce the speed of its spread, many countries slowed down their economies and enforced pronounced restrictions on public life.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION:

    Typically Coronavirus present with respiratory symptoms. Among those who will become infected, some will show no symptoms. Those who do develop symptoms may have a mild to moderate, but self-limiting disease with symptoms similar to the seasonal flu. Symptoms may include: 

  • Respiratory symptoms
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Fatigue
  • Sore throat
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
  • Muscle or body aches.
  • Headaches.
  • New loss of taste or smell.
  • Congestion or runny nose.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • Diarrhea.

A minority group of people will present with more severe symptoms and will need to be hospitalized, most often with pneumonia, and in some instances, the illness can include ARDS, sepsis and septic shock. Emergency warning signs where immediate medical attention should be sought include:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

HIGH RISK POPULATION:

The virus that causes COVID-19 infects people of all ages. However, evidence to date suggests that three groups of people are at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 diseases.

The WHO has issued and published advice for high-risk groups (older people and people with serious chronic illness) and community support. This is to ensure that these high-risk populations are protected from COVID-19 without being isolated, stigmatized, left in positions of increased vulnerability or unable to have access to basic provisions and social care.

Pandemics can be stressful: 

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be stressful for people. The impact of COVID-19 worldwide includes not only increased death rates but also a wide spread of psychological and economic impacts that are now coming to light. The mass fear of COVID-19, termed “Corona phobia,” along with the forced quarantine, has increased levels of anxiety, hoarding behaviors, and PTSD among the general population.

The first association between viral epidemics and psychological distress was made over a 100 years ago during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that yielded psychiatric complications.

In recent times, COVID-19 has been recognized as a public health emergency and thus far, most papers published on it are focused only on the clinical characteristics of infected patients. However, this pandemic has also demanded people to show phenomenal emotional resilience in the solitude of their homes which can take a toll on their mental health.

Fear and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. 

Public health actions, such as social distancing, can make people feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. However, these actions are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

 Coping with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.

Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can sometimes cause the following:

  • Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones, your financial situation or job, or loss of support services you rely on.
  • Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
  • Worsening of chronic health problems.
  • Worsening of mental health conditions.
  • Increased use of tobacco, and/or alcohol and other substances.

Another indicator of an increase in mental health issues is the immediate increase in medications to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

According to a World Health Organization survey performed in October 2020:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or stopped critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing”.

COVID-19 Virus Pandemic Psychological Stress Management

General Coping Skills:

Biological 

  • 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
  • Eating 3 healthy meals per day.
  • Exercise 3 days per week for 30 minutes where your heartrate is over 120 BPM.

Emotional 

  • Expressing yourself and talking with co-workers. 
  • Validating and supporting others.
  • Monitoring your feelings throughout the day. 
  • Engaging in self-compassion and setting limits.
  • Connecting with those we love each day.

Cognitive:

  • Recognizing when your thinking is being influenced by your emotional state. 
  • Avoiding black and white thinking.
  • Not giving into “automatic thoughts” that elicit negative emotions. 
  • Recognizing when our behavior is contributing to negative emotional states.

Environmental:

  • Keep a clean and organized environment. 
  • Identify factors in our environment that are contributing to our stress and eliminate them if possible. 
  • Change your environment if feeling too stressed out.

Social distancing

Concerns:

  • Maintaining social distancing can be a very isolating and difficult situation.
  • This may raise tensions at home, create loneliness, feeling constrained.
  • You may feel more isolated from your co-workers as well due to social distancing rules.

Coping Skills

  • Find ways to get outdoors/get out of the house that are still safe. 
  • Start a project in your yard or around your apartment. 
  • Connect with friends online as others may feel isolated as well. 
  • Increase virtual communication with co-workers. Leave them fun digital notes/memes.

Loss of Routine 

Concerns 

  • Most people have felt a disruption in their day to day routine as a result of the virus. 
  • Both in terms of their job and home life. 
  • Extra precautions. 
  • Not being able to get resources.

Coping Skills 

  • Creating a new routine. 
  • Taking initiative to set up routines with co-workers. 
  • Accepting the idea that some things won’t get done (plates will drop). 
  • Talking with boss about expectations and priorities. 

Loss of Self-Care Activities/Routines

 Concerns 

  • Normally we do all kinds of things to take care of ourselves. 
  • Unfortunately, many of these activities involve being around others and have been cancelled.

Coping Skills 

  • Get CREATIVE! 
  • Use YouTube to do exercise, meditation, and mindfulness at home. 
  • Get a video game that involves exercise. 
  • Read those books you have wanted to read. 
  • Go for a walk. 
  • Talk to friends online and connect.
  • Start a project.

Talking to Kids about Corona Virus

 Concerns 

  • Children may be struggling to understand what is happening (just like we are), except they have less agency to manage their lives. 
  • Being out of school and out of their routine can be difficult for many kids.

Coping Skills

  • Talk with your children about the topic.
  • Focus on things that are going to stay the same (being together, being loved, supporting each other). 
  • Come up with daily routines and rituals for your children.
  • Recognize how your own anxiety may be effecting your children.

Having Special Events Cancelled

Concerns 

  • In the wake of social distancing many events have been cancelled or postponed.
  • This includes sports, conferences, vacations, and even weddings. 
  • This can produce a sense of grief or loss that feels unfair.
  • Coping Skills 
  • You are not alone in feeling this way! 
  • Don’t fall into the trap of feeling like this is a “first world problem” and not allowing yourself to grieve. It’s okay to be disappointed. 
  • The process of making changes can bring people together. 
  • More time can make some events even better.