Insulin is a hormone made naturally in the pancreas that helps move sugar into the cells of your body. Your cells use the sugar as fuel to make energy. Without enough insulin, sugar stays in your bloodstream, raising your blood sugar. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can lead to the signs and symptoms of diabetes:

Possible complications include: Cardiovascular disease. ... Nerve damage (neuropathy). ... Kidney damage (nephropathy). ... Eye damage (retinopathy). ... Foot damage. ... Skin conditions. ... Hearing impairment. ... Alzheimer's disease.

A silent heart attack is a heart attack that has few, if any, symptoms. You may have never had any symptoms to warn you that you've developed a heart problem, such as chest pain or shortness of breath. Having diabetes or prediabetes puts you at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. You can lower your risk by keeping your blood glucose (also called blood sugar), blood pressure, and blood cholesterol close to the recommended target numbersthe levels suggested by diabetes experts for good health. (

As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. Over time, high blood glucose levels damage nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death among people with diabetes.

Alendronate Sodium is used for the following diseases and conditions: osteoporosis, and osteogenesis imperfecta. Alendronate Sodium improves the patient's condition by performing the following functions: slowing down the bone loss and helps to keep the bones strong and less likely to break. Side effects are possible with Alendronate Sodium, but do not always occur. Some of the side effects may be rare but serious. Consult your doctor if you observe any side effects, especially if they do not go away. Alendronate Sodium may cause the following side-effects: stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, gas, nausea, and jaw pain

How to Check Cervical Mucus

Cervical Mucus

Most women have vaginal discharge at many different times throughout their cycle. During ovulation, white and watery discharge is common and accepted as normal. But, discharge after ovulation is widely believed to be a sign of pregnancy.

Our calculator can help you discover the most fertile days of your menstrual cycle or your “Estimated Fertility Window” based on information you provide.

You may have heard that some positions, such as your partner on top (missionary position), are better than others for getting pregnant. In fact, there's no evidence to back these theories up. Experts just haven't done the research yet. What experts have done, though, is use scanning to show what's going on inside when you're doing the deed. The research looked at two positions: the missionary position and doggy style. (Doggy style being when you're on all fours, and your partner enters you from behind). Common sense tells us that these positions allow for deep penetration. This means that they're more likely to place sperm right next to your cervix (the opening of your uterus). The scans confirm that the tip of the penis reaches the areas between the cervix and vaginal walls in both of these positions. The missionary position allows the penis to reach the area at the front of the cervix. The rear entry position reaches the area at back of the cervix. It's amazing what some experts spend their time doing, isn't it! Other positions, such as standing up, or woman on top, may be just as good for getting sperm right next to the cervix. We just don't know yet. http://www.babycentre.co.uk/sex-for-getting-pregnant#ixzz4XKnPLbxL

Hypothyroidism during pregnancy is treated with synthetic thyroid hormone, thyroxine (T4). Postpartum thyroiditis—inflammation of the thyroid gland—causes a brief period of hyperthyroidism, often followed by hypothyroidism that usually goes away within a year. Sometimes the hypothyroidism is permanent.

If your levels are too low, you have hypothyroidism and may not be ovulating as you should. Taking the right dose of thyroxine, the hormone you lack, can restore your fertility. You may have discovered your underactive thyroid as a result of trying to get pregnant.

The vast majority of glucocorticoid activity in most mammals is from cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone. Corticosterone, the major glucocorticoid in rodents, is another glucocorticoid. Cortisol binds to the glucocorticoid receptor in the cytoplasm and the hormone-receptor complex is then translocated into the nucleus, where it binds to its DNA response element and modulates transcription from a battery of genes, leading to changes in the cell's phenotype. Only about 10% of circulating cortisol is free. The remaining majority circulates bound to plasma proteins, particularly corticosteroid-binding globulin (transcortin). This protein binding likely decreases the metabolic clearance rate of glucocorticoids and, because the bound steroid is not biologically active, tends to act as a buffer and blunt wild fluctuations in cortisol concentration.

When taking oral corticosteroids longer term, you may experience: Clouding of the lens in one or both eyes (cataracts) High blood sugar, which can trigger or worsen diabetes. Increased risk of infections. Thinning bones (osteoporosis) and fractures. Suppressed adrenal gland hormone production

Diabetic retinopathy is classified into two types: Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) is the early stage of the disease in which symptoms will be mild or nonexistent. In NPDR, the blood vessels in the retina are weakened. ... Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is the more advanced form of the disease.

A glucagonoma is a rare tumor of the alpha cells of the pancreas that results in the overproduction of the hormone glucagon. Alpha cell tumors are commonly associated with glucagonoma syndrome, though similar symptoms are present in cases of pseudoglucagonoma syndrome in the absence of a glucagon-secreting tumor.

Diabetic retinopathy involves changes to retinal blood vessels that can cause them to bleed or leak fluid, distorting vision. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes and a leading cause of blindness among working-age adults.

There are 3 genetic types of FHH based on chromosome location. FHH type 1 accounts for 65% of cases and is due to inactivating mutations in the CASR gene, localized to 3q21.1. This gene encodes the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR). Loss of CaSR function results in a reduction in the sensitivity of parathyroid and renal cells to calcium levels so hypercalcemia is perceived as normal. The other 35% have either a mutation GNA11 (19p13.3) seen in FHH type 2 or AP2S1 (19q13.2-q13.3) seen in FHH type 3 (see these terms) or in genes not yet discovered. FHH is rarely caused by auto-antibodies against CaSR in those without a mutation.

NTIS refers to a syndrome found in seriously ill or starving patients with low fT3, usually elevated RT3, normal or low TSH, and if prolonged, low fT4. It is found in a high proportion of patients in the ICU setting, and correlates with a poor prognosis if TT4 is <4ug/dl. The patho-physiology includes suppression of TRH release, reducedT3 and T4 turnover, reduction in liver generation of T3, increased formation of RT3, and tissue specific down-regulation of deiodinases, transporters, and TH receptors. Although long debated, tissue TH levels are definitely reduced, and tissue hypothyroidism is presumably present. This is often not clinically evident because of the brief duration, and reduced but not absent tissue levels of TH. Although recognized for nearly 4 decades, interpretation of the syndrome is contested, because of lack of data. Some observes, totally without data, argue that it is a protective response and should not be treated. Other observers (as in this review) present available data suggesting, but not proving, that thyroid hormone replacement is appropriate, not harmful, and may be beneficial. The best form of treatment (TRH,TSH,or T3+T4) and possible accompanying treatments (GHRH, Cortisol, nutrition, insulin) lack consensus. In this review current data are laid out for reader’s review and judgment.

Euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS), sick euthyroid syndrome (SES), thyroid allostasis in critical illness, tumours, uremia and starvation (TACITUS), non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) or low T3 low T4 syndrome is a state of adaptation or dysregulation of thyrotropic feedback control where the levels of T3 and/or T4 are ...