Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Diabetes What is diabetes? Diabetes is a condition that prevents the body from using food properly. Our bodies run on a fuel called glucose, a single form of sugar that comes mainly from the starches and sugars we eat. Starches are found in the foods like potatoes, bread and spaghetti; sugars are found in pies, fruits, candy, soda pop, milk and others. Together, sugars and starches are referred to as carbohydrates. To use the glucose from foods for energy, the body needs a hormone called insulin. Insulin, a chemical substance is produced in the pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach. It might be said that insulin is the "spark" needed by the body cells to burn glucose which, in turn, produces the heat and energy required to maintain life. There is not enough insulin in the diabetic. If the pancreas fails to produce a sufficient supply of insulin, glucose cannot be used or stored in the body. When glucose can't get into the cells, it builds up in the bloodstream, passes through the kidneys and spills into the urine. This is called "spilling" sugar into the urine. Who gets diabetes? Diabetes is a common disease that affects DeODle all over the wnrlrl Ahrrnt in million Americans have diabetes and half of them don't know why. Tfje tendency to develop diabetes runs in families. Diabetes can develop at any age, but generally occurs in adults between *he ages of 40 and 60. Diabetes is most often found in persons who are overweight and, for some unknown reason, occur more frequently in women than in men. Women who have had children, particularly those who had very large babies (over 10 pounds at birth) have a high incidence of diabetes. Children can have diabetes, too. I Yes, Vi th< Th of ce ? Who, What, Why? Symptoms of diabetes 1. Frequent urination. 2. Excessive thirst. 3. Extreme hunger. 4. Loss of weight. 5. Fatique, weakness and drowsiness. 6. Intense itching, particularly in the genital a i ca. 7. Failing eyesight. 8. Skin infections or cuts that are slow to heal. The most common symptoms are frequent urination, excessive thirst, rapid weight loss and extreme hunger. If you notice any of these symptoms, see your doctor. Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. Unlike other illnesses, diabetes cannot be treated by the doctor alone. The doctor must depend on the patient's knowledge of the of the disease and his ability and willingness to keep it under control. With the proper treatment, most diabetics learn to lead active, normal lives. Regular exercise, such as a daily walk, is good for you. Exercise helps reduce the sugar in your body. It also strengthens muscles and improves circulation. A planned exercise program should be followed as directedby your doctor. Personal hygiene Diabetic patients are susceptible to skin infections, boils and carbuncles. Do: 1. Get enough rest and sleep. 2. Wash daily with soap and lukewarm water. 3. Be careful not to injure legs, feet and toes. 4. Cut toenails after a bath, when your feet are clean. Cut the nailsacross, even with the toes, never shorter. irginia Then Is there a Santa Claus? The question each year is asked by n< Dusands of children around the world and rents sometime are hard pressed to come or with just the right answer. ?' Perhaps the best answer of all came in m 197 when a little girl by the name of Virgi - Wl i O'Hanlon had the same question She ''f *ed her father and he told her, "Write to ar i New York Sun. If the Sun says there is a nta Claus. there is a Santa Claus " e> Thp ancuuor tn\/irainiVc nnnrl.nn ? rii . %v TKginiu WODWIll* ^' 1 by Editor Francis Pharcellus Church and las become a classic. ty Here it is: "Dear Editor: th I am eight years old. di Some of my little friends say there is no wi nta Claus. n< Papa says. 'It you see it in the Sun, it's so.' W Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa sc ius>" cf Here is Francis Church's classic answer: q( "Virginia, your little friends are wrong ey have been affected by the skepticism Wl a skeptical age They do not believe ex pj at what they see n< 5. Wear properly fitted shoes and break in new shoes gradually. Diabetic patients often have trouble with circulation in their legs and feet. (It is important to give your feet special care!) Don't: 1. Walk barefoot. 2. Use a hot water bottle, heating pad, or any heating device on your feet. 3. Don't wear anything tight around vour lees or ankles that might in any way reduce the blood supply to your feet. Despite diabetes, you can lead a normal, healthy and productive life by learning as much as you can about your condition and cooperate with your physician. The future is in your hands. Proper treatment 1. Diet and weight adjustment ? the right foods in the right amounts at the right time. 2. Exercise ? the right amount of activity. 3. Insulin ? by injection or medicine by mouth, depending on severity of the diabetes. 4. Good personal hygiene. 5 Is A Santa They think that nothing can be which is bi Dt comprehensible by their little minds. cc All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's be children's are little. In this great universe th ours, man is a mere insect, an ant in his th tellect as compared with the boundless ch orld around him, as measured by the intel?ence capable of grasping the whole truth lai id knowledge th Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus He irr cists as certainly as love and generosity and ur evotion exist, and you know that they )ound and give to your life its highest beauand joy. wl Alas, how dreary would be the world if ve lere were no Santa Claus! It would be as st eary as if there were no Virginias. There af ould be no childlike faith then, no poetry, ro j romance to make tolerable this existence vh e should have no enioyment, except in ar ?nse and sight The eternal light with which in nldhood fills the world would be extin- at jished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as ht ell not believe in fames! You might get your Vi *pa to hire men to watch in all the chim- fr< ?vs on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, ht '.:page 5 5. Testing for sugar in urine. Diet and weight control are the foundation for management of diabetes. Your doctor will give you instructions about what foods you should eat. The diet he has prescribed is well balanced and nourishing. For the most part, you will eat the same foods as rest of the famiy. However, the amounts will be regulated. Food high in sugar and starches should be avoided. Meals should be eaten at a regular time each day. Oral drugs or insulin Take your diabetes medication every day as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take medication for other ailments without first checking with your doctor. Your doctor will adjust the amount of medication you take depending upon how well your blood sugar is controlled. There are several easy tests a diabetic may perform to help determine the effectiveness of control. Available are products such as Clinistix, Diastix, Keotstix, all of which are dipped in patients' urine and compared with a color chart to see how much sugar is in the urine. All of the above preparations may be obtained from any drugstore. Claus it even if they did not see Santa Claus ming down, what would that prove? Noidy sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign at there is no Santa Claus. The most real ings in the world are those that neither lildren nor men can see. n.H uniI cmcir PA" w..? ;uu v>i.i jcc lames uaiiLing un ine wri? Of course not, but that's not proof that ey are not there. Nobody can conceive or lagine all the wonders that are unseen and iseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby's rattle and see hat makes the noise inside, but there is a il covering the unseen world which not the rongest men that ever lived could tear >art. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, and mance can push aside that curtain and ew and picture the supernatural beauty id glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, all this world there is nothing else real and udine. No Santa Claus! Thank God, he lives and i lives forever A thousand years from now, rginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years 3m now, he will continue to make glad the ;art of childhood."