5 tips to improve your blood glucose levels

Living with diabetes - Tips to better manage diabetes

Frequently, we hear how frustrating it is to manage diabetes.

Even though you work hard at managing your blood glucoses, you may be disappointed that your numbers aren't better. I often say you can't possibly do the work of your pancreas all the time. Don't beat yourself up. Doing the best you can is all we ask.

Here are some tips from the American Diabetes Association for improved blood glucose control:

• Meet with your diabetes team. You aren't alone. Choose a healthcare provider who understands diabetes well and ask if you can also meet with a diabetes educator and a dietician. Your team can help you come up with a plan for eating and exercising. If you're on insulin, the diabetes educator can give you guidelines for dose adjustment depending on which insulin program you're on.
• Test your blood sugar on a regular basis per your provider's recommendation. If you're beginning a new exercise program you may need to test more frequently to avoid low blood sugar. Your blood sugars aren't going to always be perfect. If your blood glucoses are frequently too high or too low talk with your diabetes team. Low blood sugar can be dangerous and testing can help you avoid it.
• Write your blood sugars down. Most of you find this a pain. The good news is, you can download most blood glucose meters to your computer and print a copy for your healthcare provider. A blood sugar log can help you to spot patterns much easier. Those who keep the best records usually have better control. Adding food intake and exercise to your record will better help you see correlation between certain foods, or exercise, and your blood glucoses.
• Take your diabetes medication. Missed doses, whether you are on oral diabetes medication or insulin, can lead to high blood glucoses. If missing your insulin dose or oral diabetes medication is a problem for you, set up reminders.
• Diet is important to keeping your blood glucoses under control. Eating regular, healthy meals will give you better blood glucose control. That doesn't mean you can't go out with friends occasionally or have some birthday cake. A dietician can give you guidelines to healthier eating.

I'm sure you can come up with even more tips to share here (please do!). Have a great week.

MEN'S HEALTH: UNDERSTAND MALE INFERTILITY (RISK FACTORS AND CAUSES)

Approximately 15 percent of couples are infertile. This means they aren't able to conceive a child even though they've had frequent, unprotected sexual intercourse for a year or longer. In about half of these couples, male infertility plays a role.

Male infertility is due to low sperm production, abnormal sperm function or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors can play a role in causing male infertility.

Not being able to conceive a child can be stressful and frustrating, but a number of male infertility treatments are available.

SYMPTOMS

The main sign of male infertility is the inability to conceive a child. There may be no other obvious signs or symptoms. In some cases, however, an underlying problem such as an inherited disorder, hormonal imbalance, dilated veins around the testicle, or a condition that blocks the passage of sperm may cause signs and symptoms. Male infertility signs and symptoms may include:

• The inability to conceive a child
• Problems with sexual function — for example, difficulty with ejaculation, reduced sexual desire or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction)
• Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area
• Recurrent respiratory infections
• Decreased facial or body hair or other signs of a chromosomal or hormonal abnormality
• Having a lower than normal sperm count (fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen or a total sperm count of less than 39 million per ejaculate)

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if you:

• Are unable to conceive a child after a year of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse
• Have erection or ejaculation problems, low sex drive, or other problems with sexual function
• Have pain, discomfort, a lump or swelling in the testicle area
• Have a history of testicle, prostate or sexual problems
• Have had groin, testicle, penis or scrotum surgery

CAUSES

Male fertility is a complex process. To get your partner pregnant, the following must occur:

• You must produce healthy sperm. Initially, this involves the growth and formation of the male reproductive organs during puberty. At least one of your testicles must be functioning correctly, and your body must produce testosterone and other hormones to trigger and maintain sperm production.
• Sperm have to be carried into the semen. Once sperm are produced in the testicles, delicate tubes transport them until they mix with semen and are ejaculated out of the penis.
• There needs to be enough sperm in the semen. If the number of sperm in your semen (sperm count) is low, it decreases the odds that one of your sperm will fertilize your partner's egg. A low sperm count is fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen or fewer than 39 million per ejaculate.
• Sperm must be functional and able to move. If the movement (motility) or function of your sperm is abnormal, the sperm may not be able to reach or penetrate your partner's egg.

Medical causes

Problems with male fertility can be caused by a number of health issues and medical treatments. Some of these include:

• Varicocele. A varicocele is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicle. It's the most common reversible cause of male infertility. This may prevent normal cooling of the testicle, leading to reduced sperm count and fewer moving sperm. Treating the varicocele can improve sperm numbers and function, and may potentially improve outcomes when using assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilization.
• Infection. Some infections can interfere with sperm production or sperm health, or can cause scarring that blocks the passage of sperm. These include some sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia and gonorrhea; inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis); and inflamed testicles due to mumps (mumps orchitis). Although some infections can result in permanent testicular damage, most often sperm can still be retrieved.
• Ejaculation issues. Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen enters the bladder during orgasm instead of emerging out the tip of the penis. Various health conditions can cause retrograde ejaculation, including diabetes, spinal injuries, medications, and surgery of the bladder, prostate or urethra. Some men with spinal cord injuries or certain diseases can't ejaculate semen, even though they still produce sperm. Often in these cases sperm can still be retrieved for use in assisted reproductive techniques.
• Antibodies that attack sperm. Anti-sperm antibodies are immune system cells that mistakenly identify sperm as harmful invaders and attempt to eliminate them.
• Tumors. Cancers and nonmalignant tumors can affect the male reproductive organs directly or can affect the glands that release hormones related to reproduction, such as the pituitary gland. In some cases, surgery, radiation or chemotherapy to treat tumors can affect male fertility.
• Undescended testicles. In some males, during fetal development one or both testicles fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that normally contains the testicles (scrotum). Decreased fertility is more likely in men who have had this condition.
• Hormone imbalances. Infertility can result from disorders of the testicles themselves or an abnormality affecting other hormonal systems including the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. Low testosterone (male hypogonadism) and other hormonal problems have a number of possible underlying causes.
• Sperm duct defects. The tubes that carry sperm (sperm ducts) can be damaged by illness or injury. Some men experience blockage in the part of the testicle that stores sperm (epididymis) or a blockage of one or both of the tubes that carry sperm out of the testicles. Men with cystic fibrosis and some other inherited conditions may be born without sperm ducts altogether.
• Chromosome defects. Inherited disorders such as Klinefelter's syndrome — in which a male is born with two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (instead of one X and one Y) — cause abnormal development of the male reproductive organs. Other genetic syndromes associated with infertility include cystic fibrosis, Kallmann's syndrome and Kartagener syndrome.
• Problems with sexual intercourse. These can include trouble keeping or maintaining an erection sufficient for sex (erectile dysfunction), premature ejaculation, painful intercourse, anatomical abnormalities such as having a urethral opening beneath the penis (hypospadias), or psychological or relationship problems that interfere with sex.
• Celiac disease. A digestive disorder caused by sensitivity to gluten, celiac disease can cause male infertility. Fertility may improve after adopting a gluten-free diet.
• Certain medications. Testosterone replacement therapy, long-term anabolic steroid use, cancer medications (chemotherapy), certain antifungal medications, some ulcer drugs and certain other medications can impair sperm production and decrease male fertility.
• Prior surgeries. Certain surgeries may prevent you from having sperm in your ejaculate, including vasectomy, inguinal hernia repairs, scrotal or testicular surgeries, prostate surgeries, and large abdominal surgeries performed for testicular and rectal cancers, among others. In most cases, surgery can be performed to either reverse these blockage or to retrieve sperm directly from the epididymis and testicles.

Environmental causes

Overexposure to certain environmental elements such as heat, toxins and chemicals can reduce sperm production or sperm function. Specific causes include:

• Industrial chemicals. Extended exposure to benzenes, toluene, xylene, pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents, painting materials and lead may contribute to low sperm counts.
• Heavy metal exposure. Exposure to lead or other heavy metals also may cause infertility.
• Radiation or X-rays. Exposure to radiation can reduce sperm production, though it will often eventually return to normal. With high doses of radiation, sperm production can be permanently reduced.
• Overheating the testicles. Frequent use of saunas or hot tubs may temporarily lower your sperm count. Sitting for long periods, wearing tight clothing or working on a laptop computer for long stretches of time also may increase the temperature in your scrotum and slightly reduce sperm production. The type of underwear you wear is unlikely to make a significant difference in male fertility.

Health, lifestyle and other causes

Some other causes of male infertility include:

• Illegal drug use. Anabolic steroids taken to stimulate muscle strength and growth can cause the testicles to shrink and sperm production to decrease. Use of cocaine or marijuana may temporarily reduce the number and quality of your sperm as well.
• Alcohol use. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems.
• Occupation. Certain occupations can increase your risk of infertility, including those associated with extended use of computers or video display monitors, shift work, and work-related stress.
• Tobacco smoking. Men who smoke may have a lower sperm count than do those who don't smoke. Secondhand smoke also may affect male fertility.
• Emotional stress. Stress can interfere with certain hormones needed to produce sperm. Severe or prolonged emotional stress, including problems with fertility, can affect your sperm count.
• Weight. Obesity can cause hormone changes that reduce male fertility.
• Prolonged bicycling. Prolonged bicycling is another possible cause of reduced fertility due to overheating the testicles. In some cases, bicycle seat pressure on the area behind the testicles (perineum) can cause numbness in the penis and erectile dysfunction.

RISK FACTORS

A number of risk factors are linked to male infertility. They include:

• Smoking tobacco
• Using alcohol
• Using certain illegal drugs
• Being overweight
• Having certain past or present infections
• Being exposed to toxins
• Overheating the testicles
• Having a prior vasectomy or major abdominal or pelvic surgery
• Being born with a fertility disorder or having a blood relative with a fertility disorder
• Having certain medical conditions, including tumors and chronic illnesses
• Taking certain medications or undergoing medical treatments, such surgery or radiation used for treating cancer
• Performing certain prolonged activities such as bicycling or horseback riding, especially on a hard seat or poorly adjusted bicycle

MEN'S HEALTH : Peyronie’s (Penis) Disease

Definition

This is a disease that affects the male’s genital organ: the penis, as it often causes deformity of the penis and erections are often very painful.

This disease is the development of abnormal scar tissue and /or plaques on the tissues on the penis. The discomfort that is associated with this disease may prevent a man from engaging in sexual intercourse, which can result in stress and anxiety.

Symptoms of Peyronie’s Disease

Deformed Penis

Once the penis becomes erected, its features may come off as being deformed. Its deformed look may fall under these descriptions:

• Penis may bend or curve upwards, which is said to be the most common deformity.
• Penis may curve down to one side
• Penis tends to have an “hourglass” appearance about it.
• Penis might seem as if it is erect but instead it is bent sharply downwards at the base.

Pain

The pain associated with this disease may occur in three situations:

• Once the penis is erected
• Only during an orgasm.
• Once the penis is touched, and there is no erection.

For the first six (6) to eighteen (18) months pain may be experienced during an erection.

Scar tissue under the skin

The scar tissues associated with the identification of this disease, is normally felt on the penis under skin. It should feel like flat lumps or a like a band of hard tissue.

Erectile Dysfunction

Penis Shortening

Causes of Peyronie’s Disease

The cause of Peyronie’s Disease is unknown, but it is “generally considered the result of an unhealed wound. This wound can come about as a result of a sports injury or accident.

How exactly what does a wound healing properly or improperly have to do with this disease? Well with this disease, if the penis is unable to get a normal wound-healing process, then the will be a permanent tissue scar. This permanent scar therefore leaves the elastic tissue (tunica albuginea) inflexible and unable to stretch during the erection. As a result the penis bends or comes off as disfigured.

Treatment of Peyroni’s Disease

Penile Injections

If this is the administered treatment for you, there is a possibility of you receiving multiple injections over several months. Local Anesthesia with also be administered to prevent the discomfort of experiencing pain.

Penile Injections may come in the following form of drugs:

• Verapamil
• Interferon
• Collagenase

Surgery

Depending on the severity of the disease, surgery might be the recommended treatment. In order to go ahead with the surgery, the condition has to be first stabilized.

Types of Surgical Methods used

• Shortening the unaffected side.
• Lengthening the affected side.
• Penile Implants.

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What Causes Constant Nose Bleeding?

                                                  

A nosebleed or epistaxis is described as a relatively common occurrence of hemorrhage from the nose, usually noticed when the blood drains out through the nostrils. The most common and generally harmless type of nosebleed is known as anterior which originate from the front of the nose; the second more severe type is called posterior, originating from the back of the nose and usually requires medical attention. In some severe cases blood can travel up the tear duct and emerge from the eye and travel down into the stomach. There have been very few cases of deaths caused by severe nosebleeds.

Most nosebleeds can be self-treated. A person suffering from a nosebleed should sit down and lean slightly forward. The head should be kept above the heart to lessen the blood flow. By leaning forward the blood will drain out of the nose instead of down the back of the throat. Lean backwards may result in the swallowing of blood. To stop the nosebleed the soft portion of the nose is held together between the thumb and index finger for a few minutes; applying an ice pack to the bridge of the nose can also help.

Causes of Constant Nose bleeds

Nosebleeds are generally caused from dryness, nose picking, blunt trauma or other injury, nasal infections and congestion, allergies and colds, dry or cold climate temperatures. The dividing wall at the front of the nose called the nasal septum, consists of thin, flat cartilage and bone, separating the nostrils and nose into its two sides. The septum easily bleeds when impaired in any way. If a person is constantly having nosebleeds it means that some factor may be interfering with the blood clotting or there is some form of constant irritation. In most cases frequent nosebleeds may be due to some underlying condition such as a bleeding disorder, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia or leukemia. Constant nosebleeds causes are

Medications

Consistent use of certain blood thinning medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and warfarin will result in regular nosebleeds.

Nasal Conditions and Dry Nasal Passages

Continuous picking or irritation of the nasal cavity will cause nose bleeds and the irritated blood vessels may not get a chance to completely heal. As such persons with dry nostrils, colds and allergies will also have frequent nose bleeds; an injured nasal membrane will have constant nosebleeds. The use of cocaine (as in the case of drug abuse) will lead to regular bleeding in the nostrils.

Hemophilia

Hemophilia is a hereditary bleeding disorder that results from abnormal blood clotting. Persons with hemophilia will experience longer bleeding time from injuries and internal bleeding. People born with hemophilia have little or no clotting factor which is a protein need for normal blood clotting. These proteins work with platelets to help the blood clot.

Low Platelets

Platelets are one of the components of the blood along with white and red blood cells. They play an important role in clotting and bleeding. If a person’s platelet count is severely low for example less than 20 per micro liter, it can potentially manifest as increase bleeding when a person is cut or injured or during menstruation, or spontaneous bleeding.

Von Willebrand’s Disease

Von Willebrand disease is the most common hereditary coagulation abnormality. It is a bleeding disorder that affects the body’s blood clotting abilities. Person with the disease may have low levels of a certain blood clotting protein (called von Willebrand factor) in their blood, or the protein doesn’t work the way it should.

Nutrients that work together—and that you should eat together

                                        

Nutrition guidelines can make things look very cut and dry. They tell us to get this amount of that vitamin and that amount of this mineral. Separating out nutrients this way makes the guidelines relatively easy to understand. And this kind of thinking probably helps us avoid diseases of nutritional deficiency, such as scurvy (not enough vitamin C) or pellagra (not enough niacin).

But most nutrients don't fly solo. They interact—sometimes they join forces, other times they cancel each other out. You have probably heard before that eating vitamin-rich foods is better for you than taking a vitamin supplement. One reason why this is true is that food contains a mixture of nutrients that interact with one another in each mouthful.

The following is a list of nutrients that work in pairs. It's just a sampler, and far from a complete catalog. But hopefully it will help you when you're choosing what to eat.

Vitamin D and calcium

Like most nutrients, calcium is mostly absorbed in the small intestine. Calcium is important because it strengthens bones, but the body often needs vitamin D's assistance to absorb the nutrient. Vitamin D also has many other benefits throughout the body.

There's debate these days about whether to raise the daily intake goal for vitamin D. Right now, the official nutrition guidelines recommend that adults get 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily. For older adults, the recommended daily allowance is a bit higher: 1,200 mg of calcium starting in your 50s, and 600 IU of vitamin D starting in your 70s.

To give you an idea of how much that is, an 8-ounce glass of milk contains 300 mg of calcium and, because of fortification, 100 IU of vitamin D.

Sodium and potassium

Sodium is one essential nutrient that most Americans consume more of each day than they need (mostly in the form of salt).

Excess sodium interferes with the natural ability of blood vessels to relax and expand, increasing blood pressure—and increasing the chances of having a stroke or heart attack.

But potassium encourages the kidneys to excrete sodium. Many studies have shown a connection between high potassium intake and lower, healthier blood pressure. According to the current guidelines, adults are supposed to get 4,700 mg of potassium and 1,200 mg to 1,500 mg of sodium daily.

To meet these criteria, you need to follow general healthy eating guidelines. To increase potassium intake, load up on fruits and vegetables. To decrease sodium intake, cut back on cookies, salty snacks, fast foods, and ready-made lunches and dinners.

Vitamin B₁₂ and folate

Vitamin B₁₂ and folate (also one of the eight B vitamins) form one of nutrition's best couples. B₁₂ helps the body absorb folate, and the two work together to support cell division and replication, which allow the body to replace cells that die. This process is important during times of growth in childhood, and throughout the body of adults as well. Cells that line the stomach and the cells of the hair follicle, for example, divide and replicate often.

Good food sources of vitamin B₁₂ include:

•	meat
•	eggs
•	milk

Natural sources of folate include:

•	leafy green vegetables
•	beans
•	other legumes

Nutrition guidelines recommend 2.4 micrograms of B₁₂ and 400 micrograms of folate daily. This can usually be achieved easily by eating a reasonably well-balanced diet.

However, vegans—people who don't eat meat and other animal-based products—may have B₁₂deficiencies. And people who eat poorly or drink too much alcohol may have folate deficiencies.

Folate deficiencies can be corrected with multivitamins or folic acid pills. For a B₁₂ deficiency, you can get injections every few months or take a pill daily.

Deficiency in either or both vitamins may cause a form of anemia called macrocytic anemia. B₁₂deficiencies can also cause mild tingling sensations and memory loss.

Zinc and copper

Copper and zinc don't work together—they actually compete for places to be absorbed in the small intestine. If there's a lot of zinc around, copper tends to lose out and a copper deficiency may develop.

One way the knowledge of the copper-zinc interaction has been put into practice is in treating people with an eye condition called macular degeneration. Some people with the condition are prescribed a special vitamin-mineral combination, called AREDS. The combination has been shown to slow down progression of the disease, which can cause blindness. The AREDS pills include 80 mg of zinc, enough to cause a copper deficiency, so 2 mg of copper were added to the pills.

Niacin and tryptophan

Niacin is one of the B vitamins, although it rarely goes by its B-vitamin moniker, B3. The daily niacin requirement is 16 mg for men and 14 mg for women. Niacin deficiency causes pellagra, a disease that causes a bad rash, diarrhea, and dementia. Tryptophan, an amino acid, is a source of niacin. So one way to avoid niacin shortfalls is to eat foods that contain a lot of tryptophan, including chicken and turkey.

44-Year-Old Man With Blood In Urine Discovers He’s A Female With Period Pain

Chen, a married Chinese man with stomach aches and blood in his urine, was told by doctors he was actually a menstruating female. Gender isn’t always as clear-cut as black and white. Shades of gray exist among men and women who don’t quite fit into a single gender. A 44-year-old married Chinese man found out he too wasn’t exactly all male when bouts of stomach pain and blood in his urine sent him to the doctor for an unexpected diagnosis. The Chinese man, identified by his surname Chen, discovered he was actually a female experiencing menstrual cramps, after a CT scan revealed he had a uterus and ovaries. “He was wearing men’s clothes and had short hair so we didn’t think that he would be a female at the beginning,” said the Chief of the First People’s Hospital of Yongkang, according to Shanghaiist.com. The doctors proceeded to treat Chen like a male patient, until the CT scan and a chromosome examination showed he not only had female genitalia, but a pair of XX sex chromosomes, suggesting Chen was genetically female. He learned his feelings of constant fatigue, accompanied by a swollen face and legs were all due to him being on his period throughout his life. Although doctors have not confirmed whether Chen is a hermaphrodite or intersex, he does have two types of genitalia — a penis and a uterus with ovaries. Typically, people who are intersex do not have a reproductive or sexual anatomy that fits the definitions of female or male, says the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA). However, there are cases of people who are born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types, such as a boy being born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like a labia. Chen claims he has enjoyed an active sex life with his wife of 10 years, but doctors doubt this since his genitals are different from other men, and he did not possess an Adam’s apple. People who are intersex sometimes don’t find out they have intersex anatomy until they reach the age of puberty, find themselves an infertile adult, or die of old age, and are then autopsied. According to the ISNA, people live and die with intersex anatomy without anyone (including themselves) ever knowing. Not only was Chen diagnosed as a female after 44 years, but doctors also found the married man suffered from the genetic disorder — congenital adrenal hyperplasia — where the adrenal glands produce more or less of the hormones that shape the development of genitals and secondary sex characteristics such as body hair. Doctors found it unusual Chen possessed little facial hair. Since Chen has lived his entire life without adequate hormone treatment for his genetic disorder, his adrenal glands developed benign tumors and were removed, the Daily Mail reported. Furthermore, genetic testing conducted by doctors at First People’s Hospital of Yongkang confirmed Chen is a woman, biologically. It is not known whether the man wants to change his gender identity. Chen’s case isn’t the only one seen in China. Last year, an unidentified 66-year-old man learned his abdominal pain was due to an ovarian cyst, revealing he is genetically a woman. The patient was found to have a rare combination of Turner syndrome and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which has interfered with the development of reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics, the South China Morning Post reported