Glucagon: How Important A Role Does It Play?

A disease which develops slowly and almost imperceptibly, diabetes is, nonetheless one of the most lethal of all chronic ailments to afflict the modern world. And in spite of the dramatically increasing numbers attributed to diabetes-brought about deaths, a majority of people, all over the globe are still unaware of the subtleties of this disease, and what they can do to safeguard themselves from it. And so, while diabetes management, is not quite such a complicated procedure in itself, it is the often misguided stance that most victims assume that bring about an improper manner of treatment, and hence the more lethal complications of diabetes. This is the major reason why gaining a well-rounded perspective of this disease can often determine the how effective or not your diabetes is, which in turn gauges the risk at which you place yourself for the long-reaching complications that this disease is capable of.

An alarming percentage of individuals, diabetics included, believe that it is exceedingly high levels of blood glucose that they need to watch out for. While high blood sugar is definitely something to avoid at all costs, the other end of the spectrum can be just as harmful. Lower than recommended blood sugar levels, which bring about a condition termed as hypoglycemia, can result in a variety of complications like fatigue, nausea and even diabetes-induced coma. And hence, it is moderating your blood glucose to have it stay within the confines of the recommended range which is the cornerstone of diabetes therapies and how effective they are in the long run.

Insulin, a hormone secreted by the beta cells of your pancreas, plays a very significant role in helping you control your blood glucose. This hormone reacts to any rise in the glucose levels in your blood, especially after meals, and notifies the cells of your body so that they can break down this glucose into energy to replenish themselves. This process brings down the levels of glucose in your blood, thus preventing it from causing any further damage to your body. The liver is also employed at this stage, storing energy in the form of glycogen for your muscles and organs to utilize at a later stage.

In the event that the glucose levels drop dangerously low, the pancreas works to correct this anomaly by secreting another hormone called glucagon. This hormone activates the liver, prompting it to convert the glycogen back to glucose which is then released into your blood. This action of glucagon helps to even out the imbalance in your blood glucose, thus bringing it back within the appropriate range. Insulin-dependant victims of diabetes are also prone to severe bouts of hypoglycemia, given the deficit of glucagon in their bodies. And so, while the threat of over-sweet blood, or hyperglycemia, is a lot more severe in these cases, so is the risk of developing hypoglycemic symptoms.

Unlike insulin, your body does not require a constant supply of glucagon as a part of your diabetes management program. Glucagon is administered only when the glucose levels in your body dip unexpectedly, to restore the balance in as short a time span of 5 minutes. Glucagon Emergency kits are available in most pharmacies and contain a syringe filled with an inert solution and crystallized glucose. This solution is injected into the vial of glucose crystals to allow them to dissolve, after which the amalgamation is drawn back into the syringe.

The glucose solution can be injected just under the skin or directly into muscle tissue. Always remember to have the person administering glycogen turn you over to your side in case of vomiting, to keep you from choking on your vomit. Also, the amount of glycogen to be administered varies from person to person, as well as on the severity of the hypoglycemia and hence, you may even require two or more doses before your blood glucose stabilizes.

Glucagon is one of the most effective ways to give your blood glucose levels the much-needed boost when they tend to nosedive, but cannot be viewed as a complete solution in itself. To ensure that you do not regress back into a hypoglycemic condition once the effect of glucagon has worn out, always back up your treatment with a carbohydrate-rich meal or snack. Also ensure that you stick to your recommended diet and exercise regime, to avoid further episodes of hypoglycemia and reserve this alternative only for dire and unexpected cases. Taking care of your diabetes can be as simple as making a few, effortless changes to your lifestyle and constantly updating your information to make sure you know exactly what you need to do to arrest any complication at its nascent phase. This alone will largely determine whether it is you who is in charge of your diabetes, or whether you are letting this disease tear away at your physical and mental wellbeing.

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Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.

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