Tag Archives: diabetes

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7 Signs Your Child May be a Type 1 Diabetic

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Approximately 8.1 million Americans have undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes, many of whom are children or adolescents. Spotting a child who is diabetic isn’t always as straightforward as one may think. Type 1 diabetes usually has a quick onset, with the initial symptoms appearing in a matter of weeks. Know the signs so you can get your child (or a child you know) help right away if he or she has developed type 1 Diabetes. Major indicators include:

  1. Excessive thirst
  2. Increased urination
  3. Mood or behavioural changes such as irritability or lethargy
  4. Extreme hunger
  5. Sudden or significant weight loss
  6. Sudden vision problems
  7. Yeast infections

Other signs may include rapid breathing or a flushed face. In extreme cases of undiagnosed diabetes, the child may develop an acute, life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis.

Why Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes is Commonly Missed

It is important to know the signs of type 1 juvenile diabetes, as they can be few and subtle. Many parents see their child running to the fridge for more snacks between meals and think they must just be going through a growth spurt. A toddler may be throwing up fruity milk, but perhaps it’s a strange, lingering stomach bug. A teacher may notice a particular student asking to use the washroom or go to the fountain more and just assume the student is simply restless in class. It is so easy to overlook these signs, but failing to recognizing them could be deadly. If you notice your child, a member of a team you coach, a child you babysit or teach is drinking more than the usual amount of fluids, excessively using the washroom or eating more but still losing weight, act fast.

When to Seek Help

If you believe your child is exhibiting the symptoms listed above, it is best to check it out right away. Don’t wait until more serious symptoms start to develop. Most children are diagnosed between the ages of 10 and 13, but type 1 diabetes can develop suddenly at any age. Some parents don’t think there is a need to rush to the doctor when they observe some of the above-mentioned symptoms. They may think to just wait and tell the doctor at the child’s next scheduled check-up, but this can be a grave mistake. Just as the disease often develops quickly, it can also progress just as rapidly. If left unchecked, the child’s blood sugar may elevate to dangerous levels, which can result in serious complications such as diabetic coma, or in extreme cases even death.

What Will the Doctor Do?

Once you express your concerns about diabetes, your child’s doctor will likely perform some tests such as checking the child’s blood sugar level in the office. If she is concerned about the results, your doctor may send your child directly to the hospital where he will be further evaluated and stabilized before being released. The hospital diabetes specialist or pediatrician will likely then explain all about diabetes to your child and show him how to take his medication, blood sugar level, as well as what foods not to eat too much of.

We hope you’ll have your eyes peeled for these signs of juvenile diabetes. Who knows – you may save a young life! Thanks for visiting DocChat!

 

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Know The Signs of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

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Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially fatal diabetic condition whereby a person has an acutely elevated blood sugar level of 250 mg/dL or greater due to a severe lack of insulin combined with a surplus of ketones. This condition is most often a result of poorly managed diabetes or frequently missed insulin doses. Other emergency conditions can also throw the body out of whack, resulting in ketoacidosis, such as a heart attack, infection or other trauma.

Signs and Symptoms of Ketoacidosis

  • Extreme fatigue
  • Severe stomach pain
  • Confusion or mood changes such as irritability
  • Weakness or faintness
  • Vomiting or inability to eat
  • Fruity smelling breath
  • Extremely dry skin, mouth or eyes
  • Tachycardia
  • Shortness of breath or rapid breathing
  • Hyperglycemia
  • Fever or chills
  • In extreme cases, the person may go into shock or a diabetic coma

Ketoacidosis in Children

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the leading cause of death among diabetic children. Tragically each year, children die suddenly from what a parent, teacher or guardian may mistake as an infection or virus, but is actually severe ketoacidosis resulting from undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes. If a child under your care is exhibiting the above-mentioned symptoms, it is important to seek emergency care to rule out or confirm uncontrolled type 1 diabetes. It could very well be a simple infection, but it could just as easily be potentially-deadly ketoacidosis, so it is best to act fast.

If someone you are with is exhibiting the symptoms listed above, be sure to get emergency medical attention. If your child has diabetes be sure to know the signs of ketoacidosis to help prevent a crisis. Alternately, if you believe your child may have undiagnosed diabetes (check out the 7 major signs here), have them evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible to ensure they receive the proper medication and care.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! We hope you check back again soon.

 

Diabetic Retinopathy Awareness

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Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye diseases that affect diabetics. It damages the tiny blood vessels of the retina (the back lining of the eye), causing partial or severe vision loss if left untreated. Diabetic retinopathy is usually asymptomatic until the disease has progressed so screening is of utmost importance to catch the disease early and improve prognosis. Let’s take a look at some more facts about diabetic retinopathy:

  • Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness among diabetics, and a top cause of vision impairment among young-to-middle-aged Americans.
  • A study conducted by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that approximately 4.2 million American adults have diabetic retinopathy and 655,000 of them had severe vision impairments as a result.
  • There are 4 stages of DR: mild, moderate and severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (severe and permanent vision loss).
  • DR can cause blood vessels in the retina to bleed or leak, or it can cause abnormal vessels to replicate which may lead to scarring.
  • DR can also lead to another condition called diabetic macular edema (DME) which causes swelling in the macula area of the retina, worsening vision loss.
  • Anyone who is diabetic is at risk of developing DR. The risk escalates with age. Pregnancy may also fast-track diabetic retinopathy.
  • While there are usually no symptoms in the initial stage, symptoms of diabetic retinopathy may include: seeing ‘floating spots’, blurred vision, distorted vision or impaired color vision.
  • Prevention of diabetic vision loss includes: lead a healthy lifestyle, control sugars, maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking and get regular eye screening (early detection and treatment can reduce the risk of heavy vision loss by 95%).
  • Effective treatments include: laser or other types of surgery, certain medications like anti-inflammatories or corticosteroids, and injections.

That sums up our look at diabetic retinopathy, and remember, since there are no early signs it is of utmost importance to get regular yearly eye screenings to catch signs of diabetic eye disease early!  Check out our post on diabetic neuropathy next – thanks for visiting DocChat!

8 Care Tips for Healthy Feet

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Sometimes we take our tootsies for granted, but it is important not to neglect your feet. We spend much of our lives walking around on them, so it is a good idea to ensure they are in tiptop shape. These tips are especially important to heed if you are diabetic.

  1. Wash often and dry thoroughly – clean tootsies will likely have less issues, especially when it comes to skin infections. However, it is important to dry them well because damp feet encourage fungi and bacteria to flourish and can lead to issues like athlete’s foot. Be sure to change your socks frequently to keep your feet fresh and odor-free.
  2. Support your arches – It is of utmost importance to buy quality footwear that has good arch support so your arch doesn’t start to fall. If you have fallen arches or foot issues, you should visit a podiatrist to get fitted for custom orthotics and wear them all the time. Avoid high heels.
  3. Limit flipflop time – Typical flat flipflops are extremely bad for your feet as they are completely flat and offer no arch support (Birkenstock’s are much better). They may also expose your feet to sharp objects or harmful bacteria. Try to limit your time in flipflops to the beach or public showers, where they may protect your feet from infections like athlete’s foot or plantar warts.
  4. Take care of callouses – callouses can creep up on you and they may be hard to treat once they are very thick. It is a good idea to take care of callouses a couple times a week to stay on top of them. Once they become thick, they can become inflamed and crack which can be very painful.
  5. Take good care of your nails – Trim your toenails regularly, but be careful not to cut into the sides of the nail or cut too far down as this can cause an ingrown nail, a very painful foot condition. Keeping your nails trimmed will help keep your feet clean and help avoid nail problems.
  6. Pamper those paws – give yourself a nice foot rub with some moisturizer after a shower or bath. This will not only help keep your skin hydrated and healthy, but will also help lower your stress level and make you feel good. Be careful not to apply moisturizer between your toes as that can encourage growth of bacteria.
  7. Keep moving – To avoid circulation problems or venous issues, be sure to get enough exercise. If you can’t get much exercise, at least be sure to move your feet regularly: stretch them out and move your feet around a few times daily to keep the blood flowing well. Try not to cross your legs or sit for long periods of time either. As with many on this list, this tip is especially relevant to diabetics, as they often have more circulation problems than those who do not have the disease.

  8. Be on the lookout for trouble – Perform a regular foot check to catch any issues that may be developing such as bunions, sores, slow-healing wounds, cracks, swelling, redness or blisters. Any of these issues can be cause for a doctor or podiatrist visit as some of them may be signs of diabetic neuropathy.

That concludes our foot care tips, feel free to contact our board certified physicians who are standing by 24/7/365 if you need any medical advice. Thanks for visiting DocChat!

5 Causes of Fluid Retention

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Fluid retention, medically know as edema, is a type of swelling that occurs when something malfunctions in the body and causes a build up of fluid in the tissues. We’ll be checking out 5 of the most common causes of edema today:

  1. Lymphatic problems – Because the lymphatic system is responsible for draining fluid from the tissues and sending it into the bloodstream, if it backfires or can’t work quickly enough, excess fluid begins accumulating in the body. Lymphatic disorders such as lymphedema can result in massive buildups of fluid in the lower limbs.
  2. Heart conditions – Many heart conditions such as congestive heart failure can cause swelling in the lower limbs, markedly the legs and ankles. This occurs because the heart isn’t strong enough to circulate blood around the entire body, resulting in neglected lower limbs.
  3. Kidney disorder – One of the common signs of kidney disorders such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) is fluid retention in the lower limbs because kidneys that aren’t working properly fail to filter or remove excess fluid.
  4. Allergies – In response to an allergen, your mast cells trigger the release of histamine, a chemical that causes surrounding blood vessels to leak fluid in the area which causes swelling.
  5. Diabetes – If left uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to poor circulation which often causes swelling of the legs, ankles and feet. In extreme cases, blood supply may be almost completely cut off to a lower limb, causing nerve damage and dead tissue, leading to terrible sores or amputation.

Other Causes of Edema

Other medical issues can cause swelling as well, such as:

  • An injury (typically causes a different type of swelling)
  • A sedentary lifestyle
  • Sodium-rich diet
  • Certain medications
  • Thyroid or hormonal issues
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Pregnancy

When to Seek Medical Attention

Swelling is usually cause for concern, as it is often your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Because it can be a symptom of serious underlying health problems like heart or kidney disease, you should consult your doctor (or one of ours!) if you have been experiencing edema so he or she can perform the necessary tests.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! Remember, our board certified physicians are standing by 24/7/365 so help with any medical-related issues you may have.

 

 

6 Scary Reasons for Men To Stop Avoiding the Doc (Part 2)

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Men simply don’t visit the doctor enough and the proof is in the disease statistics. In Part 1 we looked at the prevalence of heart disease, stroke and cancer among men, so now for a look at depression, diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases:

  1. Depression

Over 6 million American men will struggle with depression annually but unfortunately, statistics show that men are far less likely to seek help for their depression than women. Moreover, depression often doesn’t present the same way between the sexes. The American Psychological Association explains that while women are more likely to battle feelings of guilt, sadness, worthlessness and shame, for men, depression manifests itself as anger (sometimes even episodes of verbal or physical abuse), irritation, lack of motivation, life or job dissatisfaction, and loss of interest in usual activities. Men are also more likely to dangerously self medicate with recreational drugs or alcohol, which compounds the depression, as alcohol is a depressant. It is extremely important for men who are noticing some of these symptoms to go to the doctor and speak up about it to get help. Untreated depression in men can lead to other complications such as sexual dysfunction, job loss, alcohol dependence or even suicidal thoughts (or actions). So see your doctor ASAP if you are experiencing depression symptoms.

  1. Diabetes

More and more men these days are developing diabetes and other kidney problems like chronic kidney disease. Of the 29 million Americans with diabetes, a shocking 25% of those don’t even know they have it. Excess alcohol consumption (which is more prevalent with men as well) and poor diet are both contributing factors to diabetes. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Too much alcohol can cause chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can impair its ability to secrete insulin and ultimately lead to diabetes.” Excess alcohol consumption can also contribute to virtually all of the other diseases on our list as well, so it is important to keep alcohol intake under about 2 drinks daily for men.

 

  1. Sexually Transmitted Disease

Sexually transmitted infections are rampant in America for both men and women, but as many men don’t get screened as regularly, they may not even realize they are silently carrying STIs that can cause harm to both themselves and their partners. Some of the main culprits for men include:

  • HPV – The vast majority of sexually active people will contract a form of the human papilloma virus. While most types are harmless and won’t cause problems, other types can lead to terrible warts or even cancer. Men are often carriers of HPV and pass it to women who man go on to develop precancerous cells or other reproductive issues.
  • Herpes – Nearly 20% of men will contract some type of herpes, most of whom will be under 25 years of age. Herpes is quite an unpleasant disease that can lead to terrible blisters, fever and swollen lymph nodes.
  • HIV – Perhaps the most frightening of all STDs is HIV, which often leads to life-threatening AIDS. HIV can lay dormant for years before developing into AIDS or causing other health problems.
  • Hepatitis B and C – are conditions that cause inflammation of the liver and can be passed from person to person via sexual contact. If left untreated, hepatitis can lead to permanent liver damage or even liver cancer.

There are many other STDs that commonly affect men, including chlamydia and syphilis, so it is important to get regular checkups and screenings to catch and treat any STDs early to avoid future complications or the risk of passing the disease to a partner.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! Hopefully some of these scary statistics really hammered home how important it is to attend regular checkups, whether or not you feel sick. If you have any questions or concerns about the health problems listed above (or any other ones), our board certified DocChat doctors are standing by 24/7/365.

 

 

 

QUIZ: What’s Your Eye Health IQ?

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How much do you know about ocular health? Let’s find out. Take a look at the statements below – are they true or false? Try to give the quiz a shot before looking at the answers below. You can write “T or F” for each number on a piece of paper and check your answers at the end. No scrolling down!

  1. Getting a regular physical at the doctor’s office can usually catch any eye problems.
  2. As long as you have carrots when you think about it, you’re doing about all you can diet-wise to help your vision.
  3. Most people don’t go to the optometrist regularly because you need a referral.
  4. Most cases of infant blindness are caused by hereditary eye diseases.
  5. A signature type of retinopathy is a key feature of cardiovascular disease.
  6. Smoking is linked to several different types of eye disease.
  7. If you can see perfectly but just get irritated eyes from time to time, there is no need to visit an optometrist.
  8. Eyes can get sunburned so it is important to wear sunglasses that repel UVA and UVB rays.

 

 

 

Don’t peek!

 

 

 

 

Keep scrolling….

 

 

 

 

Answers:

  1. FALSE. A full eye exam where your pupils are dilated by an eye care professional is the only way to ensure you have healthy eyes, or catch any potential eye problems. Many eye problems are not visible or obvious to an onlooker, so visiting your optometrist or ophthalmologist annually is the only way to detect a problem before it causes vision loss.
  2. FALSE. Contrary to popular belief, there are many other foods that also promote eye health aside from carrots. Some of those include: leafy greens like spinach, fatty fish for their omega-3’s, citrus and berries for their plentiful vitamin C. Also, try to include eggs in your diet regularly as they offer many health benefits and medical studies have linked them to slowing or helping prevent macular degeneration.
  3. FALSE. You do not need a referral to see an eye doctor, even though many people don’t realize this. Anyone can go to an optometrist, and there are online databases to help you find a professional near you.
  4. TRUE. Over 60% of infant blindness cases are due to genetic predispositions to eye disease. Many common adult eye diseases that cause blindness such as glaucoma and macular degeneration also have genetic links. It is important to know your family history of eye problems and let your eye care professional know of any problems your family has with their eyes.
  5. FALSE. A special type of retinopathy often goes hand in hand with diabetes, not cardiovascular disease. It is called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States and strikes up to 80% of diabetics who have had the disease for longer than a couple decades. Diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with regular screenings.
  6. TRUE. According to the National Eye Institute, smoking is very detrimental to your vision (as it is to the rest of your body). It can contribute to macular degeneration, cataracts or even nerve damage to they eyes. So, if you’re a smoker who is concerned about your vision health, quit smoking today!
  7. FALSE. You could have allergies or an eye condition called dry eye, which causes very irritated eyes due to blockages in your meibomian glands that prevent lubrication from properly forming to coat the eyes. It can get worse with time, and can even be linked to bigger underlying problems such as autoimmune disease. An optometrist can give you eye drops to help treat either condition.
  8. TRUE. Your eyes most certainly can get sunburned, causing them to be red, dry, itchy and painful. It is important to avoid this unpleasant sun hazard with good quality sunglasses.

So how did you do? Hopefully 8/8! Hopefully you see how important it is not to neglect your peepers! Thanks for visiting DocChat!

Telemedicine – A Revolutionary Blindness Screening Tool?

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Telemedicine can be useful for various types of screening and monitoring of diseases (for example Telestroke monitoring), but unfortunately both doctors and patients are slow-moving to embrace such a convenient answer to health issues that can be caught early and fixed, like diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease associated with diabetes that causes progressive damage to the retinas, often leading to total blindness if left undetected or untreated. Diabetic retinopathy affects up to 80% of diabetics who have had the disease for longer than a couple decades, however, with early detection and regular check-ups, medications and lifestyle changes, retinopathy can be slowed or even stopped. The problem is detecting it in the first place. Many people don’t get the opportunity to regularly (if ever) visit an eye doctor, and the problem is so gradual that some people don’t realize just how bad their eyes have gotten until it is too late to reverse damage.

A Potential Fix?

Recently in Engliand, the implementation of a nationwide telehealth program utilizing mobile blindness and retinopathy screening units has caught thousands of cases early enough to treat, effectively neutralizing diabetic retinopathy as England’s leading cause of blindness. Such a program in the United States could achieve similarly impressive results, if the American populous continues on to better embrace telemedicine.

Telemedicine and Retinopathy of Prematurity

While diabetes eye screening is just an idea so far in America, a relatively new telemedicine system has been actively preventing newborn blindness here, targeting and helping prevent the terrifying condition retinopathy of prematurity (RoP). Sadly, few are aware of the serious blindness risk faced by premature babies born under 2 pounds. They face this devastating type of retina destruction unless it is detected and treated within their first month of life. Thanks to telemedicine, necessary screening is becoming more available to help detect this vision problems of babies.

Last Look at Telemedicine for Eye Care

Telemedicine eye screening could be revolutionary when it comes to providing cost effective screenings to diabetic patients who can’t otherwise access eye care, rural patients, those without health insurance or those in nursing homes. Assistant professor of ophthalmology at Kellogg Eye Center, Dr. Maria Woodward says of telemedicine for eye screenings “Telemedicine has been shown to be a safe method to provide monitoring for diabetic eye care.” However, in a recent study only about 4% of people polled even heard about telemedicine – so there certainly needs to be more awareness to increase acceptance and demand so these services can become available to the general populace. So hopefully, we will begin to see more support and demand for a service similar to England’s which can revolutionize diabetic retinopathy just like it has started to do for RoP.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! We hope you’ll return again soon.

 

Prediabetes – Nature’s Warning Label

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Prediabetes is a health condition whereby a person’s blood-sugar levels are chronically elevated higher than normal, but not yet quite in the zone of diabetes. It is startlingly common in the United States, affecting approximately 1 in 3 American adults. Unfortunately, many people don’t take prediabetes seriously, which may be one of the foremost contributing factors to the extraordinarily high number of Americans who go on to develop type 2 diabetes.

What are the Symptoms of Prediabetes?

Some people don’t experience any symptoms even though their blood-sugars are elevated, while others seek medical attention because they begin having some of the early symptoms of diabetes such as increased thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision or fatigue. Whether or not the person is having symptoms, elevated sugars are enough cause for concern to start acting upon.

Can Prediabetes Lead To All Types of Diabetes?

No, prediabetes only leads to type 2 diabetes (and may have a correlation with gestational diabetes as well), but it cannot lead to Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition whereby the body attacks the pancreas, causing problems with insulin production. Type 1 has no prerequisite and cannot be prevented, whereas type 2 can most often be prevented by making healthier lifestyle alterations such as exercising more, quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol consumption and adhering to a healthy diet.

The Heated Prediabetes Debate

There is a moderately large camp of medical professionals standing in opposition to prediabetes awareness campaigns, viewing the term as rash, overzealous and responsible for unnecessary testing. These doctors believe a diagnosis of prediabetes alarms people more than helps them. To this sentiment, Ann Albright, the CDC’s director of the Division of Diabetes has rebutted, “Our major message is to use this as a warning, not to frighten people. It’s just not an option to stand by and watch millions of people march to diabetes.” Most medical professionals seem to err on the side of the CDC, looking at a prediabetes screening as a good way to set people down a better path of self-care so as to avoid a bigger health problem down the line.

Why You Should Take Prediabetes Seriously

Prediabetes can be a direct precursor to type 2 diabetes, a life-threatening and often debilitating disease that can cause kidney failure, loss of limbs, cardiovascular complications and more. Being that type 1 and 2 diabetes are collectively the 7th leading cause of death in the united states, it is important to take a diagnosis of prediabetes seriously so you can positively change the trajectory of your future before type 2 diabetes takes a hold of your life.

Time to Answer the Wake-up Call

If you are diagnosed with prediabetes, look at it as a second chance to get your health on track before you head down the harrowing path of no return to full-on diabetes. If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes or suspect you may have it, check out some of our diabetes prevention tips, and talk to your doctor about a personalized lifestyle action plan to help you turn your health around before it becomes too difficult to do so!

Thanks for visiting DocChat! If you have any questions about diabetes, prediabetes or any other health issue, our talented, board certified physicians are around 24/7/365 to assist you!

 

 

 

Can Consuming Too LITTLE Sodium Also Be Dangerous?

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Sodium is an electrolyte that is essential for stabilizing water balance in and around cells. We’ve all heard that consuming too much salt can be detrimental to health by contributing to such ailments as heart disease and obesity, but did you know that taking in too little salt can come with its own extensive and dangerous set of problems? Some of those include:

Hyponatremia

Hyponatremia is a health condition that arises when sodium levels in the blood drop dangerously low (usually under 135 mmol/L). This over-dilutes the sodium in the body which can adversely affect blood cells by making them distort and swell. This can become life threatening if levels go below 120mmol/L without treatment.

Symptoms to Recognize

According to the Mayo Clinic, notable symptoms of hyponatremia include:

  • Mental fuzziness such as confusion
  • Irritability or other mood changes
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Extreme muscle cramps or weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Seizures
  • In extreme cases coma may ensue

Who Gets Hyponatremia?

  1. Athletes are frequent victims of hyponatremia if they train too hard without replenishing electrolytes. Did you ever watch a marathon on TV and wonder why some athletes were doubling over, nearly crippled before the finish line? That is due to hyponatremia brought on by dehydration. It is important for athletes to use specially designed electrolyte packets or drinks with electrolytes when training vigorously or in the sun.
  2. The elderly are more sensitive to salt, and therefor are recommended to only have 1500 mg daily, however, elderly people are also more vulnerable to hyponatremia if their intake is too low, so they should get regular blood-iodine checks.
  3. People with certain health conditions such as kidney, liver, heart, thyroid or adrenal function problems are more likely to develop hyponatremia.
  4. People taking certain medications such as antidepressants or diuretics (water pills) should pay close attention to their symptoms and have their doctors periodically check on sodium levels.

Other Health Consequences of Not Taking in Enough Sodium

  • Heart Risks of Low Blood-Iodine Levels – We all know too much sodium can lead to hypertension and other heart problems, but a few notable medical studies have also outlined a correlation between highly sodium-restricted diets and premature mortality rates in those with cardiovascular disease as well. So it is important for patients with CVD to stick closely to their doctor’s sodium intake recommendations.
  • Diabetes dangers – there have been studies conducted outlining the possibility that low salt intake may trigger insulin resistance, this contributing to diabetic attacks in some patients.
  • Premature babies – Pregnant women who don’t get enough salt are at greater risk of having a premature baby, or one who with delayed neurodevelopment.
  • Compromised mental functioning in children – children with iodine deficiencies display lower cognitive functioning and tend to score lower in IQ tests.

How Much Sodium Do We Need?

The FDA recommends a daily sodium intake of less than 2300mg for most healthy people except a drop to 1500 mg daily after age 53, for children or following a doctor’s recommendation for health reasons. It is also important to try not to meander north or south of the appropriate recommended value so as not to let sodium levels drop too low either.

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