At nineteen, Dionne was leading a busy, happy life. She was living on her own for the first time, attending college, working part-time in a chiropractor’s office to earn part of her expenses, and enjoying parties and dates.
A routine urine test when she went to the doctor changed Dionne’s life forever. The test showed the presence of sugar—something that is not normally found in urine. A nurse pricked Dionne’s fingertip with a sharp lancet and tested the drop of blood that welled out. “Borderline,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe we should schedule some more tests.”
The follow-up tests told an upsetting story. There was a little more than the normal amount of sugar in Dionne’s blood. After she drank a cup of sugary liquid there was a sharp rise; sugar had passed from Dionne’s stomach into her bloodstream. That was perfectly normal. But the later test results were not. A healthy person’s body quickly stores sugar away after a meal, but in Dionne’s case most of the sugar was still in her blood, even after three hours.
“You have diabetes,” the doctor said and then explained some of what that diagnosis meant. This wasn’t something like a cold or some other illness that makes you miserable for a while and then goes away. Dionne would have diabetes all her life. And she would have to change her life-style, keeping to a careful diet, testing her blood sugar level, and giving herself injections of insulin.
At a diabetes center Dionne was trained in all the routines of caring for herself, and she learned to apply them to her daily life. She takes insulin shots twice a day now, morning and evening, and she carefully watches her diet—at least, most of the time. “There are so many temptations,” she sighs. “Sometimes I splurge”—like the time she absent-mindedly snacked on raisins while she was cooking Thanksgiving dinner for her family—”and then I feel totally wiped out for two days.” Her busy life doesn’t always allow her to be as regular as she should be; it’s difficult to fit in her evening insulin shot at the right time if she is out with friends, and sometimes she forgets to eat on schedule. But, in general, her diabetes is fairly well controlled, and her friends have been understanding about her special routines. “It’s no big deal,” she says. “Actually, practically everybody is on some kind of diet of their own.”

In diabetes, which is sometimes called the “sugar disease,” the body either does not produce or doesn’t properly use insulin, a hormone that helps the body to get needed energy from sugar. Scientists have learned that diabetes actually is not a single disease. There are two main types. In Type I diabetes, which affects mainly children, teens, and young adults, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. From 90 to 95 percent of adults with diabetes have Type II, which develops most commonly in middle-aged and elderly people. In Type II diabetes, the body may be producing insulin, but it is unable to use the hormone effectively.
In both types of diabetes, the body can’t handle sugar properly; it accumulates in the blood, and excess sugar may spill over into the urine. “When diabetes is uncontrolled, serious complications may develop, including high blood pressure, kidney failure, blindness, and nerve damage.
At least 100 million people in the world have diabetes. This disease has been diagnosed in nearly seven million Americans, and medical specialists suspect that another seven million may have diabetes without knowing it. In addition to personal suffering, diabetes costs society over $40 billion each year in health care expenses, disability payments, and lost earnings.
Despite these statistics, we have means of treating the disease that permit many people with diabetes to live full, normal lives. Some exciting research now going on promises to reveal much more in the future. Many are hopeful that soon we may have a cure for this widespread disease.
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There are two temporal arteries, one on each side of the forehead in the temple area. The temporal arteries can be felt by pressing your fingers against your temples and feeling for
pulsations. Arteritis means inflammation of an artery, and when inflammation occurs, the blood vessel swells. When there is a severe swelling, the blood flow through the artery is blocked.
Temporal arteritis is not fully understood, but in this disorder the temporal arteries, as well as many other arteries in the head, become obstructed by inflammation. The blocked arteries impede or stop blood flow to the brain. Temporal arteritis is a serious disorder that usually affects people over the age of fifty, although there are younger victims. Headache can be one of the early symptoms of temporal arteritis, but blindness and stroke may follow if the condition is not treated promptly. Occasionally joint and muscle pain throughout the entire body also occurs.
Temporal arteritis should be considered as a possible diagnosis for anyone over fifty years of age who suffers from unexplained headaches. The inflammation can be reduced by cortisone-like drugs. When the inflammation subsides and blood flow is restored, the headache pain will recede and the possibility of blindness and stroke will be reduced.

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Diet plays an important role in maintaining normal health. It is especially important for people who have HIV infection as poor nutritional status increases the risk of opportunistic infections. A balanced diet of cereals, proteins and large portions of vegetables are recommended for people with HIV infection.
Cereals contain complex carbohydrates, B-complex vitamins, proteins and several minerals. Since they are the main source of energy, they should form the major portion of the entire diet. Protein requirement for people with HIV infection is suspected to be higher than those without the infection. Proteins from eggs and dairy products are of good quality. Fish and meat can also be good sources of proteins. Vegetarians need to eat larger portions of whole grains, nuts and legumes to meet the daily protein requirement. Since the body does not store proteins, it is important that adequate proteins are consumed everyday.
Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, paneer, cheese, etc., are rich in calcium. Regular intake of these foods helps maintain normal functions of the muscles, bones, nerves and the brain.
Vegetables and fruits are also an important part of the balanced diet. They provide vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy living. Coloured vegetables and fruits (such as carrots, papaya, green leafy vegetables, etc.) are preferable because they have important nutrients such as beta carotenes. They are also important antioxidants, which are essential for maintaining normal health. Anti-oxidants are chemicals or other agents that inhibit or retard oxidation of a substance to which they are added. Oxidation is the term used for any process that increases oxygen content of a substance.
HIV infection increases the risk of wasting of the muscles. As a result, the affected person becomes weak and sick. In order to avoid muscle wasting, people with HIV need to exercise regularly and eat small and frequent meals everyday. Three meals and two snacks are desirable at fixed times. These meals should be taken even if there is no hunger.
Fluids such as water, fruit juices and herbal teas should be consumed more by people with HIV infection. Coffee and tea can lead to dehydration and therefore their intake should be limited to a total of about four cups a day. Alcohol should be avoided as it adversely affects the liver, especially if taken along with medicines.
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