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Diabetes Medication

Type 1 diabetes is a result of the body not being able to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes results when the body is not able to properly use the insulin. Sometimes Type 2 can be managed by controlling weight with proper diet and exercise. Often though, they need to take some sort of oral medication to keep the glucose levels down. Some diabetics also need to take insulin injections to keep the disease under control.

There are a number of different kinds of insulin that is used to treat diabetes. Short acting insulin works faster and is quite often used near meal time. Intermediate is mixed with another substance that causes the body to absorb the insulin more slowly. It usually takes much longer to work but it stays in the blood longer. Long acting insulin begins working in about six to ten hours and can stay in the body for over twenty hours. This type is usually taken either in the morning or at night before bed.

Oral diabetes medications that are widely available come in five classes of drugs. They each work in different ways to lower glucose levels in the blood. They are sulfonylurea, meglitinide, biguanide, thiazolidinedione, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors.

There is now a growing trend among some diabetics to turn to non traditional medications. Natural or herbal cures are now being widely used to help diabetics to manage their disease. Some of these alternative forms of treatments have proven effective, while others have not and could actually be even harmful. It is also very important to make sure that your doctor knows if you are using these alternative forms of treatment.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years very successfully, and may offer some relief to those who have neuropathy which is a very painful form of nerve damage that is sometimes associated with diabetes. The procedure involves inserting needles into certain points on the body.

The homeopathic technique of biofeedback teaches stress reduction and is a way to teach more self-awareness in order to learn how to respond to pain.

A relaxation technique that is related to biofeedback is guided imagery, where peaceful mental images help to treat diseases.

Another form of diabetes treatment that is now becoming popular is the addition of dietary supplements to aid in the overall improvement of the life of those who suffer from the disease. Two supplements that work well are chromium and ginseng.

For several years the benefit of adding chromium has been studied. It is needed to help insulin improve the glucose tolerance factor. There have been studies that have indicated that chromium may improve the level of glucose control in the blood. There is not yet sufficient information available to recommend the supplement.

There are several types of plants available that are referred to as being ginseng but most of the studies available use American ginseng when treating diabetes. There have been some studies done that show that fasting can cause sugar levels to be lowered and that sugar levels of the blood after meals can also be lowered over a three month period. Naturally, more studies need to be done before any recommendation for using ginseng can be given.

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