Information about type 2 diabetes and thyroids problems needed?

by Sue

Hello,

My name is Sue, and my mother is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and also suffers from thyroids problems.

I am looking for any information about type 2 diabetes and thyroids problems, how to handle both of these problems; can thyroid problems cause type 2 diabetes or it is diabetes that has caused thyroids problems?


Are these two conditions treated altogether or my mother has to follow a strict strategy for diabetes and another one for her thyroids problems?

Your suggestions are most welcomed.

Thanks in advance.


How to support thyroid problems in a type 2 diabetic?
by: Alba

Hi Sue,

Alba here from All-About-Beating-Diabetes.com

For your concern, I would say that generally diabetics are prone of thyroid disorders. Especially when it comes to type 1 diabetes.

Because, type 1 diabetes is supposed to be an autoimmune disease (our body cells do not properly recognize the other body cells and attack them).

And thyroid disorders mostly are autoimmune, that's why the probability of having a thyroid disorder is much higher in a type 1 diabetic.


What is more, diabetic women has more chances to suffer post-partum hypothyroidism that healthy women.

Postpartum hypothyroidism is a condition in which, women thyroid functions is altered due to massive hemorrhage during labor.


When it comes to type 2 diabetics, it is mostly related to hypothyroidsm. However, diabetes do not cause thyroid problems, but when hypothyroidism is set, diabetes control is altered.

Moreover, thyroid disorders are difficult to diagnose, since their symptoms are confounded with diabetes. So, hypothyroidism and weight loss problems are the same as in diabetes as well as hypoglycemia episodes.

That's why it is advised to do regular lab tests for thyroid problems in diabetics. Furthermore, in type 1 diabetic is recommended to screen the antibodies (since they both are autoimmune diseases).

The treatment of hypothyroidism is by using the thyroid hormone therapy. Your doctor will guide you on this. Remember: you must check your thyroid hormones levels regularly.

And of course, your doctor will give some more advice on taking care of diabetes while treating hypothyroidism.

Good luck to your mum and you all!

How do endocrine hormones control blood sugar levels?

QUESTION: I want to know the effect of endocrine hormones in controlling blood sugar levels. Thank you.


ANSWER: Hi,

Control of the blood sugar levels is a very complicated because of several hormones that are implicated.

First of all, you must know that the regulation of the blood sugar is a part of the homeostasis (the will of the organism to maintain a stable and dynamic condition) and for that reason, we can divide the hormones that take place in the blood sugar regulation in two main groups:

1- first group- hormones that reduce the blood sugar, and

2- the second group- hormones, which are raising the blood sugar.

The most important hormone is insulin. When the secretion of the insulin reduces, we have to replace the insulin with a synthetic one or to stimulate its production or secretion via drugs.

This hormone helps the glucose to enter in the cells and leads to the storage of the glucose in the form of glycogen. Therefore, enough energy is provided to the organism, which stores it as energy reserves.

The other group of hormones, which increase the level of the blood glucose is composed of 7 hormones: Somatostatin, Glucagon, Epinephrine, Cortisol, Growth hormone, Thyroxin and Adenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Each of these hormones has a different way to raise the blood glucose. For example, glucagon is leading to the dissociation of glycogen, providing more glucose for the organism when the glucose blood level is low.

Cortisol, on the other hand, leads to the formation of glucose from other substances. In fact, the glucose balance is "preserved" through complicated mechanisms, based on the levels of blood sugar.

So, when you have low amount of glucose, the secretion of the hormones form the second group is increased. On contrary, when you have high blood glucose levels, the secretion of the insulin is elevated.

Hope you had your answer!

Dr.Alba

Related topics:

• What to do if insulin is high and no diabetes?.



• What raises blood glucose level to cause insulin response.

Asthma and diabetes are very popular in childhood and last forever as chronic illnesses?

QUESTION: Asthma and diabetes are very popular in childhood and last forever as chronic illnesses? Is that true?


ANSWER: Hi,

According to a data provided by the Word Health Organization (WHO), asthma and diabetes are at first and a second place as a cause of morbidity in childhood.

The worst thing in here is that the number of children with these diseases is growing daily. That is the reason why more and more scientists are working on a solution of these two problems.

Regarding these two diseases, we have to admit that they are chronic and they cannot be cured at all.

The only thing that it can be done is to reduce the symptoms and to try do teach the kids to live with these conditions, until a definite cure is found.

Nowadays, it is quite possible to maintain the physical condition of the kids in purpose to ensure them a normal live.

Asthma is a disease, which is described by the hypersensitivity of the respiratory tree. This sensitivity can be reduced with the usage of the medications.

But it is quite important to teach the kid to cope with this condition by himself and to know what to do and what not to do in purpose to be safe.

The worst thing in diabetes in childhood is that this type of diabetes is an insulin dependent diabetes.

That means that the kid can not take pill to control diabetes, but have to inject insulin themselves every day, which is pretty harmful, but this is the only solution.

Regarding to the last studies, a condition like diabetes is much more harmful for the psychology of the child, because of the needles.

For that reason, a treatment of diseases like that requires the presence of psychologist in purpose to explain the kid that there is nothing wrong with this and everything is just normal.

Furthermore, your kid knows that other children do not use needles at all, therefore, they should be taught that this is a normal thing for them and not for other children.

Dr.Alba

Which gland and hormone decrease the level of glucose in the blood?

QUESTION: Which gland and hormone decrease the level of glucose in the blood? What happens if that gland is damaged or out of functioning (totally/ partially; reversible/irreversible)?

ANSWER: Hi there,

The glucose metabolism is very complex and it is regulated by several things. However, the important fact in here is that only one hormone is able to reduce the blood sugar concentration, called insulin.

Produced by the beta-cell of the pancreas, this hormone is reducing the blood glucose concentration by putting some of the glucose inside the cells.

In the cells, the glucose gets metabolized, which is leading to the production of energy. As you probably know, the energy is very important for the organism and the glucose is the major energy provider.

The bad thing in here is that a lot factors can damage and destroy the pancreas and in particular the beta cells.

The worst thing is that the destruction of the beta cells is an irreversible process. The organism is not able to create other beta-cells, which can replace the death ones.

Therefore, the destruction of the beta-cells is leading to reduced, missing production of insulin, which is characterized by high blood glucose concentration.

When there is no insulin, there is no way for the glucose to enter the cells, which is leading to glucose accumulation in the blood stream.

The lack of insulin secretion and high blood glucose level are two symptoms which are characteristic for condition known Diabetes Mellitus (D.M.).

It is good for you to know that there are several types of diabetes, but those related with the insulin secretion are D.M. type 1, D.M type 2 and Gestational D.M.

Diabetes type one is appearing when there is no insulin secretion, which means that all of the beta-cells in the pancreas are dead. This condition comes in suddenly and there is no way for you to prevent it.

Several scientists are blaming viral infection of the development of Diabetes type one. This disease is characterized by total destruction of the pancreatic beta cells because of this DM type 1 is also called insulin-depended.

However, Diabetes type 2 is appearing when a part of the beta-cells are destroyed and their destruction continues, or when the beta cells, which are normal in number, are producing reduced amount of insulin.

This type is also called non-insulin depended, because there is still insulin secretion in the organism. However, this disease can easily transform in diabetes type one, when all of the beta cells are destroyed, or when the beta cells are going to become unable to produce insulin.

The other type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, is observed during pregnancy. This disease is appearing, when the pancreatic beta-cells are not able to produce enough insulin for the mature and for the baby.

In most cases, women with gestation diabetes are developing diabetes type 2 after the end of the pregnancy.

Hope it helped!

Dr.Alba