New Treatment For Diabetes
Treating Diabetes depends
on a number of a factors, namely, what type of Diabetes the patient is
suffering from, how severe the condition is, the age of patient and others.
Gestational diabetes, for
example, that sometimes effects pregnant women at around Six -Seven months
into the pregnancy, may disappear soon after birth. Treatment for this type
of diabetes may be as mild as doing nothing to additional diet management.
Type 1 diabetes, however, is currently and unfortunately incurable, and
typically requires lifelong insulin shots.
But there are other forms
of new treatments for diabetes, many of them amounting virtually or
literally to self-care. On the more extensive end of treatments there are a
variety of drugs used apart from insulin.
Sulfonylureas
for example (such as
Glucotrol® and Micronase®) help the body make insulin. That's helpful for
Type 1 diabetes patients who produce too little.
Biguanides
Biguanodes
on the other hand (such
as Glucophage®), aid in using insulin more efficiently, the common
characteristic of Type 2 diabetes.
Thiazolidinediones
Thiazolodinediones (like
Avandia®) help make cells more sensitive to insulin, again useful in
treating Type 2.
Insulin Pens
Today, one can use
already filled insulin pens. They are similar to a syringe, in that they still inject
essential insulin, but the cartridges used together with the needle are sterile; and the
insulin dosage is
pre-measured. Insulin formulations range, and so the pens come in a variety
to suit most diabetic sufferers. However, as guide most will deliver 300 units from an easy device;
they are also adjustable too.
The diabetic specifies
the
desired amount of insulin. The amount to be injected is displayed in
a small window on the side of the pen. The
needle which is situated at the top is inserted just below the surface of the skin,
once the insulin has been deployed, then both
needle and cartridge can be discarded. In most diabetic cases, a patient can simply
dispose the the insulin pen and begin with a fresh one next time.
Diabetic Insulin Pumps
Another new treatment for
diabetes to consider is the insulin pump, a special device roughly the size of a small
mobile phone. it is normally attached outside the body although it is
possible to have an version implanted. In both cases however, a
computer monitored device regulated the blood glucose levels and releases the
appropriate dose of insulin when required. Insulin is deployed via a
plastic tube tipped by a cannula (very much like a needle, but mad of soft plastic,
not metal). The cannula is often implanted around abdomen area.
The correct dosage is
delivered automatically twenty-four hours a day, whenever the computer senses
insulin is required. Not surprisingly then, this method of diabetes
management results in a extremely accurate monitoring of blood glucose levels.
Other diabetic delivery
methods are still being tried, some of which work reasonably well.
Diabetic Pills and
Inhalers
Diabetic Pills are
convenient way to manage diabetes. However it's important to realise
that enzymes in the stomach are likely to degrade the insulin over time, so this
method is still being perfected today. Recently however, new coatings have been devised
recently that may just make oral insulin delivery a viable possibility.
Also, Diabetic Nasal inhalers
suffer similar problems in deploying insulin into the bloodstream, and also
the diabetic is prone then to nasal irritation. Oral diabetic inhalers seem to
be more popular, although there are still some possible side effects.
These include coughing
and mouth dryness but to name a few. However, they are still a viable
option and shouldn't be discounted.
There are
many other drugs that work on the level of glucose within the body. Meglitinides (such as Prandin®) will
certainly help
control blood sugar levels after consuming food. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (like
Precose®) will are great at slowing down the process of how quickly the body absorbs sugar in the
digestive tract.
All of these new
treatments for diabetes, and many others beside, will of course involve
careful blood glucose level monitoring by use of one or more of the above methods. Once
that's known, the diabetic and his or her doctor can focus on a particular
category of treatment.
More advanced forms of
treatment being researched daily. Exciting news of the possibility of
transplanting
pancreas cells together
with gene therapy are no longer science fiction. However, until such a
time this procedure is readily available to everyone with diabetes the above
methods offer the diabetic a safe alternative.
