The key to understanding diabetes is having a good idea of how the body works and what changes when you have diabetes. Once you know how diabetes "works" in its various types, it's easier to see how complications can arise, and why insulin therapy and blood glucose monitoring are important.

We'll start by learning how our bodies convert the food we eat into the energy we need to live. During digestion, our bodies break down food into three basic groups:

Proteins (found in meat, fish, eggs, and other dairy products)

Fats (found in vegetable oils, meat, cheese, and other dairy products)

Carbohydrates (also known as starches or sugars; found in bread, pasta, fruits, and vegetables)

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (also known as "blood sugar"), which is the "fuel" that gives our bodies energy. For blood sugar to get into the body's cells, the help of a hormone called "insulin" is required.

Diabetes is caused by a problem with the body's ability to use insulin.

In Type 1 diabetes, the body produces little or no insulin

In Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and the other types of diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it produces (this is called "insulin resistance").

If insulin isn't being used properly, then blood sugar can't get into the cells and it backs up in the bloodstream. The body tries to get rid of the excess sugar through the urine. People with Type 1 diabetes are at risk for developing Diabetes Ketoacidosis if not treated. In Type 2 and other cases, untreated high blood sugar will, over time, affect your health by causing diabetes complications. In fact, a number of Type 2 patients already have complications at the time they are diagnosed with diabetes.

Blood pressure is the force of the blood against the artery walls. High blood pressure (hypertension) and low blood pressure (hypotension) can both cause cardiovascular problems.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring or tilt table tests may be used to diagnose these conditions. There are many types of high blood pressure, which may be treated with antihypertensive medications, such as diuretics, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors.

A condition in which the patient has a higher blood pressure than that judged to be normal. In general, if on several separate occasion the systolic pressure (first or higher number) is above 140 mmHg or the diastolic pressure (second or lower number) is above 90 mm the patient is considered to have high blood pressure.

A waxy substance produced by the body and taken in with food. The body needs cholesterol for functions such as making hormones. When too much cholesterol circulates in the blood, it leads to atherosclerosis and an increased risk of heart disease. Blood cholesterol refers to the cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream; dietary cholesterol is the cholesterol consumed in food.

Cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Cholesterol from food is hard to get away from, even though you may be watching your diet. All foods of animal origin contain cholesterol, including eggs, red meat, and shrimp. Generally, foods that are high in saturated fats or trans fats should also be limited. These include foods you may not even think of, such as:
· Grilled-cheese sandwich
· Margarine
· Potato with butter
· Chicken pot pie

As you eat, cholesterol from food is absorbed by your digestive tract. It then makes its way into your liver and can circulate through your body in your bloodstream. That’s one source. There’s also a little-known second source of cholesterol—your body.

Hypothyroidism is often misdiagnosed as depression, PMS, poor diet, or several other conditions.

Hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. If your body isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone it can make your life miserable.

You are tired, irritable, moody, depressed, you can’t concentrate and you feel as if you are losing your grip on your sanity and your life.

The list below includes symptoms of hypothyroidism. You may be experiencing some or all of these symptoms in a wide range of severity.

Other symptoms include:
 You have problems losing weight and seem to gain weight without reason
 You feel tired and weak
 You are depressed and moody
 Your hair is dry and rough
 You become cold easily; being in cold weather is painful
 You are often constipated
 Your skin is dry and pale
 You are easily irritated
 You have problems remembering and concentrating
 You have irregular menstrual cycles
 You have a decreased interest in sex
 You have muscle and/or joint pain
 Your fingernails may be thin and brittle
 Your face, hands, and feet are often swollen or puffy

When you have asthma, two main things are happening in your lungs: constriction (the tightening of the muscles around the airways) and inflammation (the swelling of the airways).

Constriction and inflammation narrow your airways, which can cause symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. There is increasing evidence that, if left untreated, asthma may cause a long-term decline in lung function.

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted during coughing and sneezing. Many people are exposed to tuberculosis, yet not everyone develops tuberculosis disease.

Some people may carry tuberculosis infection for many, many years before developing tuberculosis disease. Others may have a tuberculosis infection, yet never develop tuberculosis disease. Those persons who do develop tuberculosis disease, will experience signs and symptoms of tuberculosis.

It is believed that the strength of the immune system determines whether a tuberculosis infection develops into tuberculosis disease. People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, are more susceptible to developing tuberculosis disease.
Unlike tuberculosis infection, tuberculosis disease is contagious.

This is because the Mycobacterium that causes the disease is active. People infected with tuberculosis disease may experience any of the following signs and symptoms:
·  Nausea / weakness / fatigue
·  Rapid weight loss
·  Fever
·  Night sweats
·  Cough
·  Chest pain
·  Hemoptysis

When you think of heart disease, usually people think of coronary artery disease (narrowing of the arteries leading to the heart), but coronary artery disease is just one type of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease includes a number of conditions affecting the structures or function of the heart. They can include:
· Coronary artery disease (including heart attack)
· Abnormal heart rhythms or arrythmias
· Heart failure
· Heart valve disease
· Congenital heart disease
· Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
· Pericardial disease
· Aorta disease and Marfan syndrome
· Vascular disease (blood vessel disease)
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. It is important to learn about your heart to help prevent heart disease. And, if you have cardiovascular disease, you can live a healthier, more active life by learning about your disease and treatments and by becoming an active participant in your care.

Coronary Artery Disease:

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is atherosclerosis, or hardening, of the arteries that provide vital oxygen and nutrients to the heart.

Abnormal Heart Rhythms:

The heart is an amazing organ. It beats in a steady, even rhythm, about 60 to 100 times each minute (that's about 100,000 times each day!). But, sometimes your heart gets out of rhythm. An irregular or abnormal heartbeat is called an arrhythmia. An arrhythmia (also called a dysrhythmia) can involve a change in the rhythm, producing an uneven heartbeat, or a change in the rate, causing a very slow or very fast heartbeat.

Heart Failure:

The term "heart failure" can be frightening. It does not mean the heart has "failed" or stopped working. It means the heart does not pump as well as it should.
Heart failure is a major health problem in the U.S., affecting nearly 5 million Americans. About 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65.

Heart Valve Disease:

Your heart valves lie at the exit of each of your four heart chambers and maintain one-way blood-flow through your heart.
Examples include mitral valve prolapse, aortic stenosis and mitral valve insufficiency.

Congenital Heart Disease:
 
Congenital heart disease is a type of defect in one or more structures of the heart or blood vessels that occur before birth.
It affects about 8 out of every 1,000 children. Congenital heart defects may produce symptoms at birth, during childhood and sometimes not until adulthood.
In most cases scientists don't know why they occur. Heredity may play a role as well as exposure to the fetus during pregnancy to certain viral infections, alcohol or drugs.
 
Cardiomyopathies:

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle itself. People with cardiomyopathies have hearts that are abnormally enlarged, thickened and/or stiffened. As a result, the heart's ability to pump blood is weakened. Without treatment, cardiomyopathies worsen over time and often lead to heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.

Pericarditis:
 
Pericarditis is inflammation of the lining that surrounds the heart. It is a rare condition often caused by an infection.

Aorta Disease and Marfan syndrome:

The aorta is the large artery that leaves the heart and provides oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. These diseases and conditions can cause the aorta to dilate (widen) or dissect (tear), increasing the risk for future life-threatening events:
· Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
· Hypertension (high blood pressure).
· Genetic conditions such as Marfan Syndrome.
· Connective tissue disorders (that affect the strength of the blood vessel walls) such as, scleroderma, osteogenesis imperfecta, polycystic kidney disease and Turner's syndrome.
· Injury.
People with aorta disease should be treated by an experienced team of cardiovascular specialists and surgeons.

Kidney disease includes kidney cancer, kidney cyst, and kidney failure. Your kidney is the major organ of your urinary tract. Your kidney filters your blood and excretes waste products and excess fluid as urine. Symptoms of kidney cancer include pain in one side of your back, blood in your urine, high blood pressure, and fever. Kidney cysts are hollow, round, and contain fluid. Kidney failure is the inability of your kidneys to filter waste products from your blood. Consult your doctor if you suspect you have a kidney disease.

Arthritis is a disease characterized by deterioration and inflammation in the joints. There are about 100 different types of arthritis, affecting about 40 million Americans. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common kind, affecting about 20 million people. Rheumatoid arthritis is another common form.

OA is a "wear and tear" disease and becomes more common as people get older; indeed, most people develop the condition to some degree in at least one joint by age 60. Bones that meet at joints have soft caps of cartilage at the ends, and years of bending and rubbing can start to wear these caps down. Fingers, knees, and hips are most often affected. The frequency of OA starts to rise after age 50 among men,, and after age 40 among women, and symptoms tend to get more severe as people age. Those symptoms can range from mild stiffness to severe pain.
Fortunately, doctors have found that programs of exercise and physical therapy can make a big difference in easing any discomfort. So can judicious use of painkillers such as acetaminophen and use of anti-inflammatory drugs. For the most severe cases, joint replacement surgery is often recommended; these operations offer patients major improvements in their quality of life. Finally, people who take an active role in managing their disease can lead long and active lives.

 

Cancer involves the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that have mutated from normal tissues. This growth can kill when these cells prevent normal function of vital organs or spread throughout the body, damaging essential systems.

Alternative Names:
Carcinoma; Malignant tumor

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

There are many different kinds of cancers. Cancer arises out of normal cells in the body, and can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the lung, colon, breast, skin, bones, or nerve tissue.

In general, cancer appears to be caused by abnormal regulation of cell division. Cancers can occur when cells divide too rapidly or when cells forget how to die.

There are multiple causes of cancers such as:
· Radiation
· Sunlight
· Tobacco
· Certain viruses
· Benzene
· Certain poisonous mushrooms and aflatoxins (a poison produced by organisms that can grow on peanut plants)

However, the cause of many cancers remains unknown.

The three most common cancers in men in the U.S. are prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer. In women here, the three most frequently occurring cancers are breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer.

The most common cause of cancer-related death is lung cancer.

Certain cancers are more common in particular geographic regions. For example, in Japan, there are many cases of gastric cancer, while in the US this type of cancer is relatively rare. Dietary differences may account for the variance.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Allergy is caused by an oversensitive immune system, which leads to a misdirected immune response. The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances, such as bacteria and viruses. In contrast, an allergic reaction is when the immune system reacts to substances (allergens) that are generally harmless and in most people do not cause an immune response.In a person with allergies, the first exposure to the allergen triggers the immune system to recognize the substance. Any exposure after that will usually result in symptoms.When an allergen enters the body of a person with a sensitized immune system, histamine and other chemicals are released by certain cells. This causes itching, swelling, mucus production, muscle spasms, hives, rashes, and other symptoms.Symptoms vary in severity from person to person. Most people have symptoms that cause discomfort without being life-threatening. A few people have life-threatening reactions (called anaphylaxis).The part of the body contacted by the allergen will, in part, affect the symptoms. For example, allergens that are inhaled often cause nasal congestion, itchy nose and throat, mucus production, cough, or wheezing. A food allergen can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, or a severe, life-threatening reaction. Allergies to plants often cause skin rash. Drug allergies usually involve the whole body.Some disorders may be associated with allergies. These include eczema and asthma, among others.Common allergens include those that contact the skin, breathing passages, or the surface of the eye (such as pollen; see also allergy to mold, dander, dust). Food allergies and drug allergies are common. Allergic reactions can be caused by insect bites, jewelry, cosmetics, and almost any substance that contacts the body.Some people have allergic-type reactions to hot or cold temperatures, sunlight, or other physical stimuli. In some persons, friction (rubbing or vigorously stroking the skin) will cause symptoms. (See also atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis.)Allergies are relatively common. Both hereditary and environmental factors have been found to play a role.