Time for your questions on "bugs"
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Time for your questions on "bugs"
| Thu, 09-11-2008 - 1:30am |
To all;
I am not as good at Diabetes as my sister, but I am better about bugs than she is....so while she is away, now is your time to ask me about diabetes and infections.
As many of you know, diabetes management is always a problem when you have an infection. Do you know which infections being diabetic is a risk for it's development?
Fire away with your questions and I will try to answer them for you.



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Diabetes is a risk for yeast infections/candidia anywhere on the body (it's not just a groin thing). If neuropathy has developed, then gangrene infections can show up from what might otherwise be simple cuts and scrapes because you don't know you have the injury to start with. Also, intestinal/digestive tract problems can arise if the neuropathy hits the vagus (?) nerve that controls stomach contraction/digestion - foods can just sit and ferment in the gut and lead to problems.
And, too, because diabetes lowers immune response, just about any bug from the common cold to the flu and pneumonia can be risky.
How'd I do? :-)
--Deb
You did pretty good!
Thanks for the additional info - yeah, I know about the candidia situation (went through a bout of it on my torso before I was dxd even). I didn't realize that the gangrene issue could get going even without a break in the skin. A coworker's spouse almost lost part of his foot because he stepped on a nail out in the yard and didn't feel it - when he kept hearing click click click as he crossed the kitchen floor, he stopped and checked and there it was. Fortunately, they were able to repair it and head off infection. But, that image of someone not knowing they had a nail in their foot really stuck with me.
--Deb
Okay, in the interest of keeping this going and since it has come up on threads in the past:
are diabetics more prone to UTIs and bladder infections than the general population?
--Deb
The answer to this question is ABSOLUTELY....
I use a monicure to remind folks about who gets UTIs and it goes like this:
S - sex as in female due to your short urethra
A - for most folks age greater than 50; this is especially true for males
D - Diabetes, especially type 2, but seen also in Type 1
D - Dibiliated, especially ill elderly
Since most of this community is female, there have been some interesting studies done on mothers and their daughters.
Dh had one last year?
There are several different threads here that I would like to address.
UTIs in women are very different than they are in men.
One simple indicator I use (since I'm not in the habit of measuring urinary output lol) is that by the end of the day (dinnertime ish), if I've had enough fluid, my urine is nearly colorless. If I'm still a few cups short of a full bladder (lol there's a new phrase for you) it'll be more yellow.
Of course, other things can affect this as well so it's only a basic simple indicator.
--Deb
Speaking of bugs....Flu season is coming!
twosweet02
Major annoyance on one hand, precautionary on the other. Having an Rx (meaning your physician thinks it is wise for you specifically to get the shot) might be helpful in making sure that the folks who REALLY need the shot get it (if they choose to do so). And, too, it's likely that since it doesn't really require any additional checking, the way a dr would want to see you before prescribing an antibiotic or other medication, you might be able to simply phone the dr. and either pick up the written Rx at the receptionist desk in the office (no actual "office visit" needed, so no charge) or have them call it in to your choice of location to go get it. I'm kind of surprised the physicians in GA didn't raise a bit of a red flag in that it will potentially clog up their schedules just to write flu prescriptions -unless- it has provision for the previous no-visit-needed options. If I were a physician in GA, I might write up a small stack (based on my existing patient roster/needs) that my receptionist could hand out if someone called/stopped by...probably with some sort of log and signature tracking required so one person doesn't come by every day and get a bunch of slips and then hand them out (or sell them) wherever.
--Deb
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