It is an alarm for all the diabetics since it has been found that there is a link between diabetes and kidney stones. Lets read through and know about it.

Kidney stone may be a result or a cause for diabetes. Confused? No, but we don’t mean to confuse you. It has been seen that 10 percent of the type 1 diabetic population and 30-40 percent of type 2 population are affected with kidney stones. On the other hand many patients who have undergone shockwave treatment to get their kidney stone removed have been reported to contract diabetes.

Thus there is a link between the two.

In shock wave treatments it has been suggested that it might have lead to damaging effects on the pancreatic tissues, which has resulted in malproduction of insulin. This has been the cause of diabetes.

On the other hand it is seen that in diabetes there is an increased chances of damaging of tissues. This also doesn’t barr the kidney tissues. As a result of which kidney starts to malfunction.

It results in the accumulation of the minerals and salts within the kidney and leads to stone formation.

What is the way out then?

There are mainly two ways of thinking. Firstly get rid of your stone and secondly control your diabetes. As a measure to the first one, there are many therapies available about which you can consult your doctor. To name a few are shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, open surgery etc.

And thereafter in order to stay away from diabetes or control diabetes, maintain a regular lifestyle which includes a regular exercise and a balanced diet.

But the best treatment to prevent kidney stone is to drink water profusely.

What are the signs of kidney stone?

The earliest sign of diabetic kidney disease is an increased excretion of albumin in the urine. This is present long before the usual tests done in your doctor’s office show evidence of kidney disease, so it is important for you to have this test on a yearly basis. Weight gain and ankle swelling may occur. You will use the bathroom more at night. Your blood pressure may get too high. As a person with diabetes, you should have your blood, urine and blood pressure checked at least once a year. This will lead to better control of your disease and early treatment of high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Maintaining control of your diabetes can lower your risk of developing severe kidney disease.

What are the consequences of kidney stone?

As your kidneys fail, your blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels will rise as well as the level of creatinine in your blood. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, a loss of appetite, weakness, increasing fatigue, itching, muscle cramps (especially in your legs) and anemia (a low blood count). You may find you need less insulin. This is because diseased kidneys cause less breakdown of insulin. If you develop any of these signs, call your doctor.

Exercise is important for everyone, but it can be especially important for your health if you have diabetes. People who exercise regularly are better able to control their diabetes, thereby reducing their risk of diabetes complications. But despite these benefits, as few as 39 percent of people with type 2 diabetes get regular physical activity, according to a recent study.

Diabetes and Exercise: Why It’s Important to Stay Fit

If you have diabetes, you have an increased risk of developing certain health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and nerve problems. By following your doctor’s recommendations for keeping your blood glucose levels under control, you can reduce your risk of developing these complications.

Researchers have found that people who exercise regularly have:

• Lower blood glucose levels
• Lower blood pressure
• Better cholesterol levels
• Improved ability to use insulin
• Decreased risk of stroke
• Decreased risk of heart disease
• Stronger bones
• Less chance of falling
• Easier weight loss
• Less body fat
• More energy
• Reduced stress levels

In addition, if you use insulin to treat your diabetes, exercise can be part of the daily schedule that you and your diabetes health care team develop to control your blood glucose levels.

Diabetes and Exercise: Getting Started

Talk with your diabetes health care team before you begin an exercise program. They can help you design an exercise program that is safe and effective for you. Make sure to ask about any limitations. If you have heart disease, kidney disease, eye problems, or foot problems, there may be some physical activities that you should not do.

To get started with an exercise program:

• Find physical activities you like.Choose activities that you enjoy doing and that are convenient. Try new activities, such as walking, dancing, swimming, or bicycling, until you find one you like.
• Schedule your workouts.Make exercise part of your schedule, just like work and doctor appointments. Aim to work out for at least half an hour on most or all days of the week.
• Slowly increase your time and intensity.Don’t start out doing too much, or you may get burned out. Begin with just a few minutes, and add a little time, distance, or intensity to your workouts each week.
• Find an exercise partner.Ask a friend or neighbor to join you in your exercise plan. For many people, having a person who is counting on you will make you less likely to skip a workout.
• Keep a workout journal.Each time you exercise, write down what you did and what your blood glucose levels were. That way you can keep track of your progress and see how activity affects your diabetes control.

Diabetes and Exercise: A Note about Hypoglycemia

Although exercise is an excellent way to help control your blood glucose levels, it is not without its risks. One of the most serious risks of exercising when you have diabetes is a condition called hypoglycemia.

With hypoglycemia, increased activity causes your blood glucose to fall to dangerously low levels. This can happen while you are exercising or even many hours later. Hypoglycemia can make you feel shaky, weak, and confused. If your blood glucose levels drop low enough, hypoglycemia could cause you to faint or have a seizure.

Talk with your doctor about strategies for preventing hypoglycemia. You may need to have a snack before you exercise or closely monitor your blood glucose levels before, during, and after exercising.

Walk your way to better diabetes control. Learn how to start a walking program to improve your health & fend off heart disease.

People who have diabetes are at an increased risk of health complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, visual problems, and nerve problems. Along with a healthful diet and taking insulin along with any other prescribed medication, regular exercise can be an important part of your diabetes management plan. Walking is a great way to stay physically active, since it is easy on your body, convenient, and inexpensive.

Walking and Diabetes: What the Research Says

Several studies have examined the effects of walking on people who have diabetes:

• In one study, researchers compared the risk of heart disease-related death in people with diabetes who walked at least two hours per week with those who were less active. They found that the walkers were almost 40 percent less likely to die from all causes, and 34 percent less likely to die from heart disease.
• Another study looked at the overall death rates of walkers and non-walkers with diabetes. The researchers found that the walkers, who averaged about two to three hours per week, were 40 to 55 percent less likely to die than the non-walkers.
• A third study looked at the effects of a walking exercise program on women who had gestational diabetes. The women who added a low-intensity walking program to their diabetes management plan had better blood glucose control and required less insulin than the women who did not walk.
• In a Swedish study, researchers tested the effects of a four-month walking program on people with type 2 diabetes. The program consisted of 45 to 60 minutes of walking three times a week. Compared with the control group that did not walk, the walking program participants had better blood pressure and cholesterol control, and a healthier body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height.

Walking and Diabetes: Getting Started

To start a walking program, make your first step a talk with your doctor, who can inform you of any limitations and help you develop a plan that is safe for you.

Next, follow these tips to get off on the right foot:

• Find a safe route.Map out a route in your area that is a safe place to walk. If you are new to walking, it is a good idea to start on a relatively flat course.
• Enlist a partner.Walking with a partner can be safer and make you more likely to stick with your program, since you have someone who is counting on you.
• Get a good pair of shoes.Walking in a comfortable, well-fitting pair of shoes is even more important when you have diabetes, since it can reduce your risk of foot problems.
• Dress for the weather.Wear cool, breathable clothing and a sun visor when it is warm out, and dress warmly with a knit cap when the weather is cold.
• Warm up and cool down.Walk slowly for at least five minutes before and after completing your faster-paced workout walk.
• Stretch your muscles.Take time to stretch all of your major muscles after you warm up and cool down.
• Set goals.At first, aim to walk two or three times a week for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Each week, increase your goals — walk for more days, for a few more minutes each time, and at a faster pace.
• Reward yourself.Celebrate when you reach your goals. For example, when you are able to walk for 30 minutes at a relatively fast clip, reward yourself by participating in a fun 5K walk in your area.

The best thing about walking? You can do it anytime, anywhere, and even indoors. Head to your local mall on inclement days or check out a walking home-exercise video from the library. No need to spend money: just lace up those shoes — and go!

Here’s how to get the diabetes support you need to manage your health and avoid diabetes burnout.

Learning you have diabetes can lead to a flood of emotions, both when you’re first diagnosed and as you manage your condition over time — all of which can lead to diabetes burnout — unless you have the right outlook and strong diabetes support.

Denial is a common reaction to being diagnosed with diabetes, explains Barbara Borcik, RD, LDN, CDE, of the Diabetes & Nutrition Center at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, Md. “You might think of a host of reasons why the test results can’t be accurate,” she says. The problem with denial, Borcik says, is that it can get in the way of taking care of yourself. When test results show you have diabetes, your doctor may perform a second test on a different day to confirm. If the results are the same, she notes, “you may be a little more accepting and start to change how you take care of yourself.”

Guilt is another common reaction. “You might say to yourself, ‘If I hadn’t had a soda every day or a candy bar every afternoon, I wouldn’t have diabetes’” Borcik says. The truth is, diet isn’t the only risk factor, and feeling guilty shouldn’t be part of your get-better equation. You need to stay positive and face living with diabetes with an “I can do this” attitude.

Living With Diabetes: Building Diabetes Support

Living with diabetes isn’t as difficult as you might think, even if you need to make permanent lifestyle changes. Your doctor will work with you to develop a management plan to improve your health. Key components are a nutritious diet to reach and maintain a healthy weight, regular exercise, and possibly medication to keep your blood sugar under control. It’s also important to check your blood sugar often and visit your doctor regularly to monitor your condition and prevent complications. Think of all these steps as positive changes you’re making for better health.

Other strategies can also make living with diabetes easier to manage, both physically and emotionally:

Get educated. Learn all you can about living with diabetes, Borcik says. The more you know, the better you’ll cope. For instance, knowing trouble signs to watch for will take away some of the panic and confusion you might be feeling. If you use the Internet to research diabetes, she suggests accessing only sites that you know are reliable and up-to-date, such as the American Diabetes Association. Ask your doctor or diabetes educator for ways to keep up with treatment advances.

Get diabetes support. According to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes. Networking with other people who are also managing diabetes can be both reassuring and helpful. “Realizing you’re not alone can help you stay positive,” Borcik says. Find support groups online or through your doctor or a diabetes educator.

Create a family network, too. Your family and friends often want to help you manage diabetes, but may not know how. Be specific about your needs — you might want a loved one to be with you at doctor appointments, or you might want to share nutritious recipes for healthier meals. “Friends and caregivers can help you problem-solve if you share your challenges with them,” says Laura Rooney, DNP, RN, CDE, who runs the Healthy Eating and Lifestyles Program, a self-management and education program for people with diabetes, for the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Surround yourself with those who support you and minimize exposure to those who negatively impact your health.

Stick to your diabetes management plan. If you watch your diet, exercise regularly, and take any prescribed medications, you can control your diabetes. “When you control your blood sugar, you’ll feel better, and feeling better is a great motivator and mood lifter,” Borcik says. You’ll also sleep better, and that in turn can help you deal better with whatever life throws your way, she adds. Stay in touch with your doctor so you know your numbers — your glucose level, your A1C, your blood pressure, and your cholesterol count. Should they go above the levels that are right for you, look for possible causes and see what happens if you make changes. Your doctor may have additional suggestions for how to get your numbers back where they should be. Don’t delay — if you allow diabetes to get too far out of control, you may start to feel overwhelmed.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Living with diabetes is a ‘round-the-clock reality, and you’re bound to slip up once in awhile. “Just get right back on track the next day,” Borcik says. Don’t let guilt get you down.

Be kind to yourself. “I always tell people, ‘Give yourself a break,’ ” Rooney says. Once in awhile it’s okay to have a small slice of birthday cake or some of Mom’s homemade candy — as long as it’s not a daily habit. Having a small, favorite indulgence every now and then will help you stay on track the rest of the time and prevent diabetes burnout. Also, reward yourself for small victories with treats other than food. Go to the movies, get a massage or facial, or meet a friend for a walk around the neighborhood or a game of golf.

Focus on the positive. “Lots of people with type 2 diabetes focus on what they can’t have rather than all the wonderful things they can have,” Rooney says. Adjusting your outlook can help you stay positive. When you see only the negatives, you sabotage your efforts to manage your condition. Focus on the control you do have over your health and the actions you can take to feel better.

A Note on Diabetes and Depression

Despite your best efforts, you might feel overwhelmed by your diabetes diagnosis and upset about the lifestyle changes you need to make. You may even become depressed. It’s important to get help for depression right away because it can start a dangerous downward spiral. People with diabetes who become depressed are less likely to take their medications regularly, putting them at increased risk for complications.

A study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania published in the Annals of Family Medicine found that treating people for diabetes and depression simultaneously improved their ability to not only control their diabetes, but also their mood. When people received treatment for both diabetes and depression, the rate at which they had improved blood sugar tests almost doubled (61 percent for those who received combined care versus 36 percent for those who didn’t). The same was true for reduced symptoms of depression (58 percent showed improvement with combined care versus 31 percent without combined care).

Watch for the warning signs of depression. If you feel sad much of the time, overeat or don’t eat enough, notice changes in your sleep habits, or can’t concentrate at work, you may need counseling. Talk to your doctor about getting professional help.

Living with diabetes requires daily commitment, but educating yourself about this common condition and building a solid support network will help keep you healthy and emotionally strong.

For example, if your thyroid — a gland in your throat that makes crucial hormones — is not working properly, associated problems with your nerves can affect the sensation in your feet. Or if you have degenerative changes in your lower back, the nerves coming off your spinal cord may become irritated, which could also affect the health of your feet, he says.

Here’s a look at three common conditions that may result in foot pain and unhealthy feet.

Peripheral Arterial Disease

About 8 million Americans have peripheral arterial disease (PAD), according to the American Heart Association. In PAD, a fatty substance called plaque that builds up in the arteries in your legs, reducing the flow of blood to your lower legs and feet.

PAD can cause the muscles in your calves and other parts of your legs to cramp while you’re moving around. The condition can also lead to foot pain and poorly healed foot wounds, Dr. Brezinski says. While the foot and leg-related symptoms of PAD are usually quite obvious, the disease is also associated with hidden damage to the heart and brain — which places those with PAD at much higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Not surprisingly, other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, also increase your risk of PAD.

Medications can be used to manage PAD, but changes in diet and lifestyle (like quitting smoking) are very important as well.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout

According to the Arthritis Foundation, 46 million Americans have arthritis or other chronic problems affecting their joints. For patients with rheumatoid arthritis — which affects 1.3 million Americans — about 90 percent will develop symptoms in the foot and ankle.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops when the body’s natural defense system against disease, the immune system, mistakenly attacks your joints, causing them to become painful and swollen. The symptoms of RA may include severe foot pain. When the condition affects your feet, pain usually begins in your toes and later spreads to the rest of your feet and ankles. The joint damage caused by RA can eventually change the shape of your toes and feet. In some people, foot symptoms are the first hint that they even have RA. Once diagnosed, RA can often be treated effectively with medications, exercise and, in some cases, surgery.

Another type of arthritis that is known for causing foot pain is gout. This condition occurs when a substance called uric acid accumulates in your body. Deposits of uric acid collect in the joints — particularly in your big toes — and can cause intense, episodic pain. Uric acid can also lead to kidney stones if too much of it builds up in the kidneys.

Doctors can treat gout with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other medications including steroids. Getting regular exercise, drinking lots of water, avoiding certain medications, and staying at a healthy weight can help prevent gout attacks, too.

Foot Pain Health Problems: Diabetes

Roughly 24 million Americans have diabetes — and 6 million of them don’t even know it yet. If you have this health problem, the glucose or blood sugar that your body normally uses as fuel can build up in your blood. This excess sugar can damage nerves and blood vessels in the feet — eventually leading to decreased sensation and compromised blood flow.

As a result, symptoms of high blood sugar include numbness or tingling in your feet as well as severe foot infections. Diabetes is a major cause of foot problems in the United States and can lead to the surgical removal of a toe or even more of your foot or lower leg.

Fortunately, diabetes and its associated foot complications can be managed with medication and regular foot exams by your doctor. It is also important for diabetics to quit smoking, wear supportive shoes, and avoid being barefoot to prevent unnecessary foot trauma.

After a long day of standing at work, it’s common to experience some foot discomfort, but if you notice severe foot pain that seems out of proportion to your physical activity, tell your doctor. What starts as a minor foot problem could indicate a more serious medical condition.