The pancreas is the organ that produces the insulin hormone. This hormone allows the cells to absorb glucose from the food you eat and also helps to store glucose for future use. The amount of glucose present in your blood is known as blood sugar concentration, and this can be higher or lower depending on your health.
Hyperglycemia is blood sugar level is high. Hypoglycemia is when the blood sugar level is low. Diabetes mellitus occurs when a person experiences consistent hyperglycemia.
What is the normal blood sugar level?
The blood sugar level is lowest in the morning. The normal blood sugar level for a nondiabetic person is 3.9-5.5 mmol/L. The normal blood sugar level for a diabetic person is 4.4-7.2 mmoI/L. The blood sugar level rises after a meal, so the test is usually done after 2 hours of consuming food. The normal blood sugar level changes in this case. The normal blood sugar level for a nondiabetic person is 7.8 mmoI/L. The normal blood sugar level for a diabetic person is 10.0 mmoI/L.
5 Symptoms of diabetes
Fatigue
A diabetes patient will tire himself easily. This is also accompanied by hunger. If you are feeling fatigued for a considerable time, you might be suffering from diabetes.
The insulin hormone helps in the movement of glucose and its absorption. The problem arises when it absorbs the glucose itself. It will fail to provide the required energy to your body. This is because the glucose will not reach the blood vessels and as a result, you’ll feel tired and hungry.
Frequent urination
You may find yourself visiting the bathroom often. This is one of the early 5 symptoms of diabetes. Urine flushes the sugar from the body. As a diabetic patient has a high sugar content in blood, he needs to visit the washroom more often.
Dehydration
As you are urinating too much, you are throwing out water from the body. As a result, you feel dehydrated. You will feel thirsty and your mouth will be drier than usual. Often, people try to supplement their thirst with juices and soda. This increases the sugar content adding up to the present problem.
Blurred vision and shakiness
Intake of carbohydrates in large quantity can shoot up the glucose level. A sudden change in the blood sugar level can make you feel dizzy and shaky. Your vision becomes blurry as there is an accumulation of glucose in the eyes.
Healing is slow
Any cut in your body takes a lot of time to heal.
These are some of the common symptoms of diabetes. If you’re experiencing these, get your blood sugar level checked immediately.
Chronic migraine is a condition where the affected person experiences at least 15 headache days a month. It is observed that at least 8 out of these 15 days are migraine headaches with severe symptoms, and this pattern of discomfort remains consistent for 3 months. Initially, it may not be a frequently occurring episode, however, with time, the episodes may get regular with chronic headaches. If left untreated, this condition can affect a person’s life.
Causes
Several factors determine the onset of this kind of migraine. One of them includes a steady increase in the frequency of episodic headaches. Over-the-counter treatment options that are used to treat frequent headaches stop affecting over time, leading to side effects that develop into chronic headaches. Some other factors that can put an individual at a high risk of developing this condition include mood disorders like anxiety or depression, snoring, excessive caffeine intake, ongoing disturbed sleep patterns, and a history of stressful life events causing emotional or physical trauma. An unhealthy lifestyle leading to an increase in the body mass index (BMI) can also be a causal factor.
Symptoms
There is no difference between symptoms of chronic migraines and episodic migraines. However, the only thing to notice is the increased frequency of episodic headaches in a month. Some typical symptoms of this illness can be observed for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Transitioning symptoms (episodic to chronic migraines)
Diagnosis
A health professional will take a look at the affected person’s health history. If needed, the doctor may ask questions that help understand the migraine patterns. The questions include how and when the migraines begin, how long they last, are there any notable physical factors or triggers that worsen the condition, and where the location of the pain is.
The professional may also ask for a detailed history of other health conditions like anxiety, depression, lifestyle choices that may trigger these headaches, any treatment options used, and possible side effects that could be factored into the diagnosis. Based on the results, appropriate treatment methods will be advised and implemented.
Treatment options
Most of the treatment methods focus on managing the symptoms, the migraine attacks, and reducing the episodes and pain.
One of the treatment therapies includes focusing on lifestyle changes.
Some other treatment options for managing migraine attacks include:
Other techniques include:
Also, maintain a headache diary and note down the possible triggers and the number of migraine attacks in a month. If there’s a notable increase in the attacks, consult a doctor at the earliest. Knowing the triggers can help the doctor chalk out an effective treatment plan.
Preventive treatments and methods
Apart from treatment options that help manage the symptoms, there are preventive treatment methods that reduce the episodes of these headaches to a certain extent. These include using beta blockers and other therapies. One such treatment method also includes using an Allergan product named BOTOX®, which doctors recommend for those 18 years and older. The intravenous treatment method is administered around the neck or the head, where the migraine pain usually affects the person. This ten-minute procedure is not painful and can prevent headaches for three months. The procedure takes place in a doctor’s clinic under close supervision.
Chronic migraine can be painful and disrupt everyday life activities, so choosing the right treatment plan is crucial. Get all the information from a licensed health professional and seek the best possible treatment plan according to a detailed diagnosis.
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in the cells that produce melanin. The pigment melanin is responsible for giving the skin its color. Advanced melanoma can form inside one’s nose, throat, or digestive tract. Studies show that the risk of melanoma increases in people under 40, especially women. Knowing the early signs of the disease is crucial since melanoma can be treated successfully if detected early.
Stages
There are five stages of melanoma. The cancer cells of Stage 0 melanoma are restricted to the epidermis, the top layer of skin. The epidermis and dermis, the deeper layer of the skin, both contain cancer cells in Stage I melanoma. Stage II melanoma is marked by tumor thickness and ulceration, while Stage III is marked by melanoma deposits in the skin and cancer spreading to nearby lymph nodes. The advanced stage of melanoma, also called metastatic skin cancer, shows the further spread of cancer to distant areas of the body.
Causes of advanced melanoma
The exact cause of melanoma is unknown, although exposure to harsh ultraviolet (UV) radiation, tanning beds, or lamps has been shown to increase one’s risk of getting the disease. One can develop skin disease anywhere in one’s body. Those with a family history of the disease or exposure to radiation or vinyl chloride are also vulnerable to metastatic melanoma.
Signs of advanced melanoma
An early sign of melanoma is the development of an unusual mole. Normal moles are minor and uniform in size and color. But melanoma moles have irregular shapes or borders and can be larger than 6 millimeters. If a mole grows in size, color, and shape and causes itchiness, it’s best to get it checked. Advanced melanoma may lead to chronic fatigue, swollen lymph nodes or liver, loss of appetite, jaundice, skin itchiness, headaches, and even seizures. Depending on where the metastatic melanoma has spread, one may experience chest pain, breathing issues, aching bones, paralysis, sleepiness, and swelling in one’s legs or abdomen.
Melanoma treatment options
The American Cancer Society reports that the five-year survival rate for patients with melanoma that has spread to surrounding lymph nodes is 66%. Surgery is a common way to treat it. Targeted therapy is another method to eliminate the tumor and its metastases selectively. Alternatively, immunotherapy aids a person’s immune system in recognizing and shrinking cancer cells. Other treatments for metastatic skin cancer include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Conclusion
Opdulag is a standard treatment for advanced melanoma skin cancer. The therapy, given by intravenous (IV) infusions, works with one’s immune system and is used to fight cancer that has spread or cannot be surgically removed. If one experiences any early signs of melanoma skin cancer, it’s recommended to consult a doctor immediately.