Type 2 Diabetes Precautions For The LADIES

Seems like my blog sometimes is focused more on men than women. It is NOT intentional and I apologize if it seems that way. Men and women both suffer in large numbers from type 2 diabetes. Much of what is good for treatment of men is also good for treatment of women.

As an example of the obvious, men and women both need to eat right, avoid the empty calorie carbs, avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated and fractionated oils and trans fats. Both sexes consume way too much glucose and High Fructose Corn Syrup and empty carbohydrates. We both need to exercise more and strike a balance between cardio and weight resistance and strengthening exercises.

We both need to take natural supplements, make sure we get enough healthy fats and omega 3's, etc.

WOMEN do have some special concerns to be aware of:

• IF you are pregnant, you need to do more frequent monitoring of your blood glucose levels. (Some say 8X per day - for your own health and your babies)
• WOMEN  who are type 2 diabetics need to pay more attention to heart health as your likely hood of having a heart attack has been compared to someone who has already had one
• WOMEN are more likely to die from a heart attack than a man.
• WOMEN need to pay more attention to their blood pressure than men because of the possibility of stroke, kidney disease and vision problems

Here is a LINK with some special advice for women who are type 2 diabetics:

http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/type-2-diabetes-women


EXCERPT:


Type 2 Diabetes and Women
Special concerns if you’re a woman with type 2 diabetes.


WebMD Feature Archive
By Shahreen Abedin
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD


For women, living with type 2 diabetes can be tough. Diabetes brings many other health risks that you need to know about.

For instance, women with type 2 diabetes are more likely than other women to havehigh blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease.


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Hypoglycemia


Important It is possible that the main title of the report Hypoglycemia is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.


The good news: A healthy lifestyle and solid medical care can halt those risks.

Here's what every woman with type 2 diabetes needs to know.
The Heart of the Matter

Type 2 diabetes makes heart disease -- the top killer of U.S. women -- more likely.

Women with diabetes are as likely to have a heart attack as someone who has already had a heart attack. Compared to men, women with diabetes are more likely to have a heart attack and to die from it. And they tend to have a poorer quality of life than men.

“Nobody knows for sure why these heart risks are different for women than men - whether it’s hormones or socioeconomic factors or some combination of those two,” says ob-gyn and diabetes educator Cassandra Henderson, MD, of New York’s Montefiore Medical Center.

If you’re a woman with type 2 diabetes, your blood pressure needs to be closely monitored, Henderson says. High blood pressure also makes stroke, kidneydisease, and vision problems more likely, so it’s a key part of diabetes management. Keeping your cholesterol levels in check will also help protect your heart.
Planning on Getting Pregnant?

Type 2 diabetes usually strikes after age 40. But it's on the rise in younger women, mainly because of obesity.

That means many women now have type 2 diabetes during their childbearing years. And that can be risky.

If you have type 2 diabetes and plan to get pregnant, see your doctor. You need a plan to keep your blood sugar level under control. That will help your odds of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. High blood sugar levels, particularly early in pregnancy, can increase risk of birth defects.

A healthy pregnancy is possible when you have type 2 diabetes. But it takes work.

A woman with a high blood sugar level is more likely to give birth to a baby with low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) and jaundice. She's also more likely to have a larger baby, which makes for a more difficult delivery.

You may need to see an ob-gyn who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. Your doctor should check on your diabetes drugs, because some shouldn't be taken during pregnancy. As a result, you may need to take insulin.

Of course, a healthy diet and exercise are a must. That's true for everyone, but for pregnant women with type 2 diabetes, it's especially important to help control blood sugar levels.

You'll also need to check your blood sugar level frequently -- up to eight times daily -- while you're pregnant, to flag any blood sugar level spikes.