Treatment of hemorrhoids

Treatment of hemorrhoids

How Do I Know if I Have Hemorrhoids?

First, your health care provider will look at your anal area, perhaps by inserting a lubricated gloved finger or an anoscope (a hollow, lighted tube for viewing the lower few inches of the rectum) or a proctoscope (which works like an anoscope, but provides a more thorough rectal exam).

More procedures may be needed to identify internal hemorrhoids or rule out other ailments that frequently cause anal bleeding, such as anal fissure, colitis, Crohn's disease, and colorectal cancer.

To see further into the anal canal (into the lower colon, or sigmoid), sigmoidoscopy may be used, or the entire colon may be viewed with colonoscopy. For both procedures, a lighted, flexible viewing tube is inserted into the rectum. A barium X-ray can also show the outline of the entire colon's interior. First a barium enema is given, then X-rays are taken of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

What Are the Treatments for Hemorrhoids?

Once you develop hemorrhoids, they don't usually go away completely unless you undergo one of the procedures below. They can get better, however, so that living with them is tolerable. Both conventional and alternative practitioners consider diet the best treatment for hemorrhoids. A diet rich in high-fiber foods and low in processed foods is essential. Increasing fluid intake to six to eight eight-ounce glasses a day also is important. Check with your health care provider about your fluid needs if you have any medical problems or take medication. Dietary changes will be needed even if medication or surgery is prescribed.

Most hemorrhoid treatments aim to minimize pain and itching. Warm (but not hot) sitz baths are the most time-honored and suggested therapy: Sit in about three inches of warm water for 15 minutes, several times a day, especially after a bowel movement. This helps reduce the swelling in the area and relaxes spasm of the sphincter muscle. If you are pregnant, discuss any treatment, including dietary changes, with your health care provider before proceeding.

If you have been diagnosed with hemorrhoids, a high-fiber diet combined with sitz baths and Tylenol as prescribed often reduces discomfort within two weeks. If symptoms persist or are severe your health care provider may suggest one of the following procedures. Many can be performed in your doctor's office.

• Injection. An internal hemorrhoid can be injected with a solution which creates a scar and closes off the hemorrhoid. The injection hurts only a little, as any injection does.
• Banding. Prolapsed hemorrhoids are often removed using rubber-band ligation. A special tool secures a tiny rubber band around the hemorrhoid, shutting off its blood supply almost instantly. Within a week, the hemorrhoid shrivels and falls off.
• Coagulation or cauterization. Using either an electric probe, a laser beam, or an infrared light, a tiny burn painlessly seals the end of the hemorrhoid, causing it to close off and shrink. This is most useful for prolapsed hemorrhoids.
• Surgery. For large internal hemorrhoids or extremely uncomfortable external hemorrhoids (such as thrombosed hemorrhoids that are too painful to live with), your doctor may elect traditional surgery, called hemorrhoidectomy.

Hemorrhoid removal treatments are very effective, but unless dietary and lifestyle changes are made, hemorrhoids may recur.

Back Pain Causes,treatment

Back Pain Causes,treatment

There is absolutely nothing funny about back pain. Leastwise, not to those who already experience it. And there are an a lot of back discomfort victims out there. The If you believe about it, a lot of everyone has actually experienced back pain at one time or another. And the older you get, the more possibility that you will certainly have a form of chronic back discomfort.
Being a leading notch massage therapist I know ways to heal back pain cures and sciatica. Likewise, I also used to be an industrial driver, and I comprehend the rigors of the occupation. After years of development I am happy to offer these extraordinary back supports for truckers. Be sure to see my extraordinary butt supports too! It’s just as vital to support the butt as the back!


First off, you have to find time to stretch. If you work in a workplace, as the majority of people who sit do, or even if you work at home, set a timer. It’s much too easy to obtain lost in work for hours at a time and forget to stretch. There are online application, phone timers, egg timers, stopwatches, numerous various ways to sound off and alert you that it’s time to stretch. Find one that works for you and

your circumstance and set it to about 25 minutes.
Then the typical lower lower back pain causes are injury or overuse of muscles, raising heavy objects and weights, extreme bending of the lower part of the body, twisting of the back fairly often, excess pressure on the nerve roots, and pressure in the ligaments and back muscles, facet, and sacroiliac joints.
The old standby, RICE, works well for both severe and chronic injuries: Rest, elevation, ice, and compression. Do not hesitate to take a moderate painkiller in the start, too; just note that you ought to stop taking discomfort medications when discomfort ends up being workable.
lower back pain causes In about my third month of maternity, after the morning illness went away, I started a constant workout regimen. Whether I hit the pavement or the treadmill, I religiously strolled ever other day for about 40 minutes. And I’m persuaded that my dedication to strolling enriched my maternity, my labor and shipping and my recovery.
Herniated Discs – Tingling and discomfort that shoots down the legs from the low back. Discomfort enhances with extended periods of sitting or standing. Degenerative Disc Illness – Being and making specific steps in specific positions can cause the start of back discomfort. This pain can end up being persistent and extremely painful. Stress Fractures – Can be really unpleasant and caused when strolling or standing. If you are older: A reason for pain in the back common for those that are older is Osteoarthritis. This can stiffen your back and trigger pain. The beginning of this pain is usually in the morning or late during the night.
What next? Journeys to book representatives in the United States, Canada and GB. My book is currently hopelessly dated as far as book reviewers are worried, but I am turning to guerrilla advertising and the number I have actually sold is now more than 600.

treatment Bacterial pneumonia

treatment Bacterial pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. People with pneumonia usually complain of coughing, mucus production, fever, shortness of breath, and/or chest pain.

• The body's immune system usually keeps bacteria from infecting the lungs. In bacterial pneumonia, bacteria reproduce in the lungs, while the body tries to fight off the infection. This response to bacterial invaders is called inflammation.
• When the inflammation occurs in the alveoli (microscopic air sacs in the lungs) they fill with fluid. The lungs become less elastic and cannot take oxygen into the blood or remove carbon dioxide from the blood as efficiently as usual.
• When the alveoli don't work efficiently, the lungs are less able to extract oxygen from the air. This causes the feeling of being short of breath (dyspnea), which is one of the most common symptoms of pneumonia. Inflammation is the body's attempt to destroy infection, and causes many of the other symptoms of bacterial pneumonia, including fever and chest pain.
• Pneumonia can be very serious, because it directly interferes with the body's ability to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen.
• Pneumonia is different from acute bronchitis (another disease that can cause fever, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath) because acute bronchitis is caused by inflammation in the air passages (called bronchi) leading to the alveoli, not the alveoli themselves. Sometimes it is very difficult, even for a doctor, to tell pneumonia and bronchitis apart. The symptoms and physical examination can be identical. Sometimes a chest X-ray is the only way to distinguish pneumonia from bronchitis. There is also an entity in which both the airways and air sacs are involved with infection, and this is referred to as bronchopneumonia.

Bacterial Pneumonia Causes

• Most pneumonia is caused by bacteria or a virus. Pneumonia from any cause can occur at any age, but people in certain age groups are at higher risk for certain types of pneumonia.
• The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia is a type of bacteria known as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Haemophilus influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila are some other major bacteria that cause pneumonia.
• People who inhale toxic materials can injure the lungs and cause chemical pneumonia. This is more accurately referred to as chemical pneumonitis, since the process is mainly due to inflammation not from an infectious source.
• Fungi can also cause pneumonia. In certain areas of the United States, specific fungi are well known. Coccidioidomycosis, usually seen in the Southwest, is a type of fungal infection that causes a pneumonia called "San Joaquin fever" or "Valley fever." Histoplasmosis (seen primarily in the Midwest) and blastomycosis (seen primarily in the Southeast) are other fungal diseases that cause pneumonias.
• The most common way you catch pneumonia is to aspirate bacteria from the upper airway, usually the oral cavity. Other ways to catch pneumonia can be by breathing in infected air droplets from someone who has pneumonia. In some cases, the bacteria can be generated by an improperly cleaned air conditioner or Jacuzzi. Yet another source of infection in the lungs is spread of an infection from somewhere else in the body, such as the kidney. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream from any source and be deposited in the lungs, resulting in pneumonia.
• The risk of catching pneumonia is determined by the specific bacteria, virus, or fungus, the number of organisms the person inhales, and the body's ability to fight infections.
• A person cannot "catch pneumonia" by not dressing properly for cold weather or by being caught in the rain. Continue Reading

treatment Bronchitis

How Is Bronchitis Diagnosed?

Tests are usually unnecessary in the case of acute bronchitis, as the disease is usually easy to detect through your description of symptoms and a physical exam. The doctor will simply use a stethoscope to listen for the rattling sound in your lungs' upper airways that typically accompanies the problem.

In cases of chronic bronchitis, the doctor will likely get an X-ray of your chest to check the extent of the lung damage, as well as pulmonary function tests to measure how well your lungs are working. The level of oxygen in your blood may also be checked with a small sensor that is clipped on your finger.

What Are the Treatments for Bronchitis?

Conventional treatment for acute bronchitis may consist of simple measures such as getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of fluids, avoiding smoke and fumes, and possibly getting a prescription for an inhaled bronchodilator and/or cough syrup. In some cases of chronic bronchitis, oral steroids to reduce inflammation and/or supplemental oxygen may be necessary.

In healthy people with bronchitis who have normal lungs and no chronic health problems, antibiotics are usually not necessary. In most cases, the cause is a virus and antibiotics will not help. A productive (phlegm-producing) cough may come with acute bronchitis. This is your body's way of getting rid of excess mucus. However, if your cough is truly disruptive -- it keeps you from sleeping, is so forceful it becomes painful, or it persists for two or three weeks -- then your doctor may prescribe a cough suppressant. In most cases, you should simply do all the things you usually would do for a cold: Take aspirin or acetaminophen for discomfort and drink lots of liquids. Do not give aspirin to a child aged 18 years of age or younger because of the increased risk of Reye’s Syndrome.

If you have chronic bronchitis, your lungs are vulnerable to infections. Unless your doctor advises against it, get a yearly flu shot as well as a vaccination against pneumonia. One dose of pneumonia vaccine will help protect you from a common type of bacterial pneumonia until the age of 65 when you will likely need a booster. You may need a booster sooner if you have certain other medical problems.

treatment Cellular inflammation

treatment Cellular inflammation

What is Cellular Inflammation?

People (including virtually all physicians) are constantly confused what cellular inflammation is. So I decided to take the opportunity to explain the concept in more detail.
There are two types of inflammation. The first type is classical inflammation, which generates the inflammatory response we associate with pain such as, heat, redness, swelling, pain, and eventually loss of organ function. The other type is cellular inflammation, which is below the perception of pain. Cellular inflammation is the initiating cause of chronic disease because it disrupts hormonal signaling networks throughout the body.

Definition of Cellular Inflammation

The definition of cellular inflammation is increased activity of the gene transcription factor know as Nuclear Factor-kappaB (NF-κB). This is the gene transcription factor found in every cell, and it activates the inflammatory response of the innate immune system. Although the innate immune system is the most primitive part of our immune response, it has been resistant to study without recent breakthroughs in molecular biology. In fact, the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for the earliest studies on the innate immune system and its implications in the development of chronic disease.
There are several extracellular events through which NF-κB can be activated by distinct mechanisms. These include microbial invasion recognized by toll-like receptors (TLR), generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cellular generation of inflammatory eicosanoids, and interaction with inflammatory cytokines via defined cell surface receptors. We also know that several of these initiating events are modulated by dietary factors. This also means that appropriate use of the diet can either turn on or turn off the activation of NF-κB. This new knowledge is the foundation of anti-inflammatory nutrition (1-3).

treatment Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

treatment Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

What are the symptoms of SARS?

Usual symptoms include:

• high fever (at least 100.4°)
• headache
• overall feeling of discomfort and body aches
• mild respiratory symptoms (cough, runny or stuff nose)
• diarrhea
• dry cough (after 2-7 days)

How is SARS diagnosed?

In areas where there is a known outbreak of SARS, healthcare providers will diagnose the disease based on symptoms and whether or not the person has been in close contact with someone who has the virus. Sometimes, healthcare providers also will run lab tests to confirm that the virus is SARS.
In areas where there is not a known outbreak of SARS, healthcare providers should consider SARS if a patient has pneumonia (confirmed by an X-ray) and other details about the patient: 

• if he or she recently traveled to areas where SARS outbreaks originated (mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) or close contact with people who have recently traveled to those areas or have SARS symptoms
• works in a job where employees are at risk for exposure to the virus that causes SARS, including having direct patient contact or a worker in a laboratory that contains live virus that causes SARS
• is part of a cluster of cases of atypical pneumonia without another diagnosis

How is SARS treated?

Patients with SARS are treated mainly for pneumonia. There are no generally effective treatments for most types of viral pneumonia. People with severe cases of SARS and pneumonia may be hospitalized. Healthcare providers may treat symptoms to lower fever or ease breathing, using supplemental oxygen and drugs called bronchodilators, which open airways.

Bacterial meningitis

Bacterial meningitis

Someone with bacterial meningitis will require urgent treatment in hospital. If they have severe meningitis, they may need to be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU).
Antibiotics will be used to treat the underlying infection. These can be given intravenously (through a vein in your arm). At the same time, you may also be given:

• oxygen
• intravenous fluids
• steroids or other medication to help reduce the swelling around your brain

If the antibiotics are effective, you'll need to be in hospital for about a week. However, if you're severely ill, you may need to stay in hospital for several weeks or even months.
Meningococcal disease (either meningitis or septicaemia due to Neissaria meningitidis) can cause some long-term complications.
Read more about the complications of meningitis.

Viral meningitis

Viral meningitis can either be mild or severe. The treatment for both severities is described below.

Mild viral meningitis

Most people with viral meningitis won't require hospital treatment. Viral meningitis is usually mild and can be treated at home with:

• plenty of rest
• painkillers for the headache
• anti-emetics (anti-sickness) medicine for the vomiting

Most people take between 5 and 14 days to recover.

Severe viral meningitis

If the symptoms of viral meningitis are severe enough to require hospital admission, antibiotics will be given until the cause of the symptoms is known.
However, once a diagnosis of viral meningitis has been confirmed, the antibiotics will be stopped, as they have no effect on viruses. However, intravenous fluids will be given to help the body recover.
In very severe cases, where someone is in hospital with viral meningitis, anti-viral medicines may be given.

Infection control

Most cases of meningitis are isolated, and the risk of the infection spreading is low.
However, if someone is thought to be at high risk of infection, they may be given a dose of antibiotics as a precautionary measure.
This could be, for example, a young child who has been in close contact with another child who has developed bacterial meningitis.

treatment Hepatitis

treatment Hepatitis

What is the treatment for viral hepatitis?

Treatment of acute viral hepatitis and chronic viral hepatitis are different. Treatment of acute viral hepatitis involves relieving symptoms and maintaining adequate intake of fluids. Treatment of chronic viral hepatitis involves medications to eradicate the virus and taking measures to prevent further liver damage.

Acute hepatitis

In patients with acute viral hepatitis, the initial treatment consists of relieving the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain (supportive care). Careful attention should be given to medications or compounds, which can have adverse effects in patients with abnormal liver function (for example, acetaminophen [Tylenol and others], alcohol, etc.). Only those medications that are considered necessary should be administered since the impaired liver is not able to eliminate drugs normally, and drugs may accumulate in the blood and reach toxic levels. Moreover, sedatives and "tranquilizers" are avoided because they may accentuate the effects of liver failure on the brain and cause lethargy and coma. The patient must abstain from drinking alcohol, since alcohol is toxic to the liver. It occasionally is necessary to provide intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration caused by vomiting. Patients with severe nausea and/or vomiting may need to be hospitalized for treatment and intravenous fluids.
Acute HBV is not treated with antiviral drugs. Acute HCV - though rarely diagnosed - can be treated with several of the drugs used for treating chronic HCV. Treatment of HCV is recommended primarily for the 80% of patients who do not eradicate the virus early. Treatment results in clearing of the virus in the majority of patients.

Chronic hepatitis

Treatment of chronic infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C usually involves medication or combinations of medications to eradicate the virus. Doctors believe that in properly selected patients, successful eradication of the viruses can stop progressive damage to the liver and prevent the development of cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Alcohol aggravates liver damage in chronic hepatitis, and can cause more rapid progression to cirrhosis. Therefore, patients with chronic hepatitis should stop drinking alcohol. Smoking cigarettes also can aggravate liver disease and should be stopped.
Medications for chronic hepatitis C infection include:

• injectable interferons
• oral ribavirin (Rebetol, Copegus)
• oral boceprevir (Victrelis)
• simeprevir (Olysio)
• oral telaprevir (Incivek - Note that on 12/19/12, warned that a few patients can develop a fatal rash, especially when telaprevir is used in combination with other antivirals. The drug was discontinued for production in August 2014.) 

Medications for chronic hepatitis B infection include:

• injectable alpha interferons
• oral lamivudine (Epivir)
• oral adefovir (Hepsera)
• oral entecavir (Baraclude)
• oral tenofovir (Viread)

Decisions regarding treatment of chronic hepatitis can be complex, and should be directed by gastroenterologists or hepatologists (doctors specially trained in treating diseases of the liver) for several reasons including:

1. The diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis may not be straightforward. Sometimes a liver biopsy may have to be performed for confirmation of liver damage. Doctors experienced in managing chronic liver diseases must weigh the risk of liver biopsy against the potential benefits of the biopsy.
2. Not all patients with chronic viral hepatitis are candidates for treatment. Some patients need no treatment (since some patients with chronic hepatitis B and C do not develop progressive liver damage or liver cancer).
3. Medications for chronic infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C are not always effective. Prolonged treatment (6 months to years) often is necessary. Even with prolonged treatment, rates of successful treatment (defined as complete and lasting eradication of the virus) often are low (usually less than 80% and often around 50%).
4. Most of the medications such as interferon and ribavirin can have serious side effects, and doses may have to be reduced.
5. There are several different strains of hepatitis C viruses with differing susceptibilities to medications. For example, hepatitis C type 3 is more likely to respond to interferon injections and ribavirin than type 1. Certain hepatitis B strains are resistant to lamivudine but respond to adefovir or entecavir.

In addition, recent research has shown that combination of certain antiviral medications result in a cure (viral clearance) in many patients with chronic hepatitis C. Further studies and FDA approval is pending.

Fulminant hepatitis

Treatment of acute fulminant hepatitis should be done in centers that can perform liver transplantation since acute fulminant hepatitis has a high mortality (about 80%) without liver transplantation. Continue Reading

Bacterial vaginosis facts

Bacterial vaginosis facts

• Bacterial vaginosis is an abnormal vaginal condition that is characterized by vaginal discharge and results from an overgrowth of atypical bacteria in the vagina.
• Bacterial vaginosis is not dangerous, but it can cause disturbing symptoms.
• Most women do not experience symptoms of bacterial vaginosis, but when they do they are:
  • vaginal discharge, and
  • vaginal odor.
• In diagnosing bacterial vaginosis, it is important to exclude other serious infections, such as the STDs gonorrhea and Chlamydia.
• Treatment options for bacterial vaginosis include prescription oral antibiotics and vaginal gels.
• Serious complications of bacterial vaginosis can occur during pregnancy, and recurrence is possible even after successful treatment.

What is bacterial vaginosis?

Bacterial vaginosis is a vaginal condition that can produce vaginal discharge and results from an overgrowth of certain kinds of bacteria in the vagina. In the past, the condition was called Gardnerella vaginitis, after the bacteria that were thought to cause the condition. However, the newer name, bacterial vaginosis, reflects the fact that there are a number of species of bacteria that naturally live in the vaginal area and may grow to excess. The Gardnerella organism is not the sole culprit causing the symptoms. When these multiple species of bacteria that normally reside in the vagina become unbalanced, a woman can have a vaginal discharge with a foul odor.
Bacterial vaginosis is not dangerous, but it can cause disturbing symptoms. Any woman with an unusual discharge should be evaluated so that more serious infections such as Chlamydia and gonorrhea, can be excluded. Symptoms may also mimic those found in yeast infections of the vagina and trichomoniasis (a sexually-transmitted disease or STD), and these conditions must also be excluded in women with vaginal symptoms.
Bacterial vaginosis is a common condition. It is the most common vaginal complaint in women of child bearing age. Studies have shown that approximately 29% of women in the U.S. are affected. Bacterial vaginosis is found in about 25% of pregnant women in the U.S. and approximately 60% of women who have a sexually-transmitted disease (STD).

What is causes bacterial vaginosis?

Researchers have had difficulty determining exactly what causes bacterial vaginosis. At present, it seems to be that a combination of multiple bacteria must be present together for the problem to develop. Bacterial vaginosis typically features a reduction in the number of the normal hydrogen peroxide-producing lactobacilli in the vagina. Simultaneously, there is an increase in concentration of other types of bacteria, especially anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that grow in the absence of oxygen). As a result, the diagnosis and treatment are not as simple as identifying and eradicating a single type of bacteria. Why the bacteria combine to cause the infection is unknown.
Certain factors have been identified that increase the chances of developing bacterial vaginosis. These include:

• multiple or new sexual partners,
• IUDs (intrauterine devices) for birth control,
• recent antibiotic use,
• vaginal douching, and
• cigarette smoking.

However, the role of sexual activity in the development of the condition is not fully understood, and although most experts believe that bacterial vaginosis does not occur in women who have not had sexual intercourse, others feel that the condition can still develop in women who have not had sexual intercourse. Continue Reading

Pneumonia - Treatment

Pneumonia - Treatment

Bacterial pneumonia

Doctors use antibiotics to treat pneumonia caused by bacteria, the most common cause of the condition. Antibiotics have a high cure rate for pneumonia.⁵

Your doctor will choose your antibiotic based on a number of things, including your age, your symptoms and how severe they are, and whether you need to go to the hospital. The number of days you take antibiotics depends on your general health, how serious your pneumonia is, and the type of antibiotic you are taking.

Most people see some improvement in symptoms in 2 to 3 days. Unless you get worse during this time, your doctor usually will not change your treatment for at least 3 days.

Getting started on antibiotics soon after getting pneumonia may help recovery.⁵

If there is no improvement or if your symptoms get worse, you may need a culture and a sensitivity test. These tests help identify the organism that is causing your symptoms. These tests also help your doctor find out whether the bacteria is resistant to the antibiotic.

If you do not need to go to the hospital for pneumonia, it is not usually necessary to identify the organism causing the pneumonia before starting treatment. If you do go to the hospital, you will probably have some testing to identify the bacteria.

You likely will not have to go to the hospital unless you:

• Are older than 65.
• Have other health problems, such as COPD, heart failure, asthma,شer disease.
• Cannot care for yourself or would not be able to tell anyone if your symptoms got worse.
• Have severe illness that reduces the amount of oxygen getting to your tissues.
• Have chest pain caused by inflammation of the lining of the lung (pleurisy) so you are not able to cough up mucus effectively and clear your lungs.
• Are being treated outside a hospital and are not getting better (such as your shortness of breath not improving).
• Are not able to eat or keep food down, so you need to take fluids through a vein (intravenous).ش

Older diabetics face high over-treatment risk

Older diabetics face high over-treatment risk

he “one size fits all” approach to diabetics treatment may cause significant problems for older patients also suffering from other conditions. Attempting to aggressively control blood sugar with insulin and sulfonylurea drugs could lead to over-treatment and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), Yale researchers report.

Diabetes overtreatment may threaten the health and lives of older patients. Image via Health Works.

The study, which was published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that many older patients received the same treatment as their younger counterparts, despite having other health conditions to struggle with. In patients with diabetes aged 65 and older this raises major problems – potentially even life threatening ones.

“We treat diabetes to prevent complications of the disease by lowering blood sugar levels, but the problem with aggressively lowering blood sugars in older people — to a hemoglobin A1c below 7% — is that it is uncertain whether this approach provides a benefit, and it could, in fact, cause greater harm,” said lead author Dr. Kasia Lipska, assistant professor of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “Our study suggests that we have a one-size-fits-all approach despite questionable benefits and known risks. We have been potentially over-treating a substantial proportion of the population.”

This study asks some very valid questions and shows that even though managing diabetes is very important, we need to find a way to tailor treatments for individual patients and needs.

For this study, patients were divided into three groups depending on their relative health – poor, intermediate and good. Blood sugar was considered controlled if it fell below 7%. About 62% of the patients had blood sugar levels less than 7%. Out of them, 55% were treated with either insulin or sulfonylureas medications.

“We should use an individualized therapy approach when treating older diabetes patients,” said Lipska. “Older patients who are relatively healthy may benefit if they are treated in a similar way to younger diabetes patients, but this approach might not work in older patients who often have other health issues.”

Diabetes is a term denoting a group of metabolic diseases in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. As at 2013, 382 million people have diabetes worldwide, with type 2 diabetes making for 90% of all cases.
Journal Reference: Kasia J. Lipska, Joseph S. Ross, Yinghui Miao, Nilay D. Shah, Sei J. Lee, Michael A. Steinman. Potential Overtreatment of Diabetes Mellitus in Older Adults With Tight Glycemic Control