Diseases & conditions A-Z List
Diseases & Conditions A-Z List - «D»:
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Dextrocardia
Dextrocardia is a condition in which the heart is pointed toward the right side of the chest instead of normally pointing to the left. It is present at birth (congenital).
Causes
During the early weeks of pregnancy, the baby's heart develops. Sometimes, for reasons that are unclear, the heart devel...
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Dextromethorphan overdose
Dextromethorphan is a medicine that helps stop coughing. It is considered a cough suppressant. Dextromethorphan overdose occurs when someone accidentally or intentionally takes more than the normal or recommended amount of this medication.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatmen...
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DHEA-sulfate test
DHEA-sulfate test measures the amount of DHEA-sulfate in the blood. DHEA-sulfate is a weak male hormone (androgen) produced by the adrenal gland in both men and women.
How the Test is Performed
Blood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The p...
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Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood.
See also:
Gestational diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes
Causes
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin...
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Diabetes - eye care
Diabetes can harm your eyes. It can damage the small blood vessels in your retina, which is the back of your eye. This is called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes also increases your risk of having glaucoma and other eye problems.
You may not know there is any damage to your eyes until the problem is v...
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Diabetes - foot ulcers
If you have diabetes, you may have an increased risk for developing foot ulcers, or sores. Foot ulcers are the most common reason for hospital stays for people with diabetes. It may take weeks or even several months for your foot ulcers to heal. Diabetic ulcers are often painless.
See also Diabetes ...
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Diabetes - keeping active
If you have diabetes, you may think that only a lot of exercise is helpful. But that is not true.
Increasing your daily activity by any amount can help improve your diabetes control. Whether you are trying to lose weight, keep your heart healthy, or just want to feel better, there are a lot of ways ...
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Diabetes - low blood sugar - self-care
Low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia. Blood sugar below 70 mg/dl is considered low. Blood sugars below this level can harm you.
If you have diabetes and are taking any of these diabetes medications, you have a risk for low blood sugar:
Insulin
Chlorpropamide (Diabinese), tolazamide (Tolinase), ac...
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Diabetes - preventing heart attack and stroke
People with diabetes have a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. High blood pressure and high cholesterol increase this risk even more. Controlling blood pressure and cholesterol are very important for preventing heart attacks and strokes in people with diabetes.
Your doctor should check your ...
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Diabetes - resources
The following sites provide further information on diabetes:
American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International - www.jdrf.org
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion - www.cdc.gov/diabetes/
National Diabetes Education...
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Diabetes - taking care of your feet
Diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels in your feet. This damage can cause numbness and reduce feeling in your feet. As a result, your feet may not heal well if they are injured. If you get a blister, you may not notice, and it may get worse.
See also: Managing your blood sugar
Check your...
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Diabetes - tests and checkups
You can live an active lifestyle when you take control of your diabetes care. Still, you must have regular health checkups and tests. These visits will give you a chance to:
Ask your doctor or nurse questions
Learn more about diabetes
See Your Doctor
See your diabetes doctor every 3 - 6 months. D...
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Diabetes - what to ask your doctor - type 2
Type 2 diabetes is a (lifelong) disease that causes high levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood. It can damage your organs. It can also lead to a heart attack or stroke and cause many other health problems. You can do many things to control your symptoms and make your life better.
Below are some qu...
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Diabetes - when you are sick
Waiting too long to get medical care when you are sick can lead to getting much sicker. When you have diabetes, a delay in getting care can be life threatening. Even a minor cold can make your diabetes harder to control. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to more serious health problems.
When you are si...
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Diabetes and exercise
Exercise is as important as any medicine for managing your diabetes and your health, in general. It can help in these ways:
It helps you lose weight, if you are overweight.
It helps prevent weight gain.
It lowers blood sugar without medicines.
It reduces your risk for heart disease.
It reduces stre...
