When we hear Trauma/PTSD, the first thing that comes to mind is the military. Surprisingly, it has only been in the last five years that this association has really been emphasized. The strong association of trauma/PTSD and the military has had one major drawback.

The general public is unaware of the widespread incidence of trauma in the civilian world. For those of us who have specialized in post trauma counseling, we know that many people are suffering and have no idea that their pain and distress can be cured or substantially diminished.

Studies have suggested that 30 - 60% of primary care physician visits are trauma-related. Physical symptoms representing a wide range of body systems drive people to medical visits over and over again. Because their illnesses are not successfully controlled, they experience little if any relief. Adding insult to injury, this category of trauma disrupts memory processing. That is why so many people are unaware that they may be struggling with a trauma-related illness.

Because the majority of medical professionals are not well versed in PTSD and its complex symptom picture, individuals suffering from this illness are often misdiagnosed. It is not uncommon for people to develop physical complaints as the body begins to express prolonged physical stress and psychological pain.

When the medical treatment does not yield substantial relief, the person retreats into shame and guilt for the failure to get better. They become hopeless and withdrawn. As a way of managing pain, 25-45% of traumatized individuals use a variety of drugs/alcohol to manage their distress.

There are contributing factors that make an individual more vulnerable to experiencing a traumatic response. I have listed below a wide range of situations and events that may precede the development of a trauma-related illness.

Just remember that you can't self diagnose. It requires a professional with experience and expertise in post trauma counseling to make an accurate differential diagnosis. The list I have compiled below is not exhaustive but may help you evaluate your risk for developing trauma-related illness including PTSD.

As I mentioned, this is in no way a comprehensive list. My goal is to highlight the wide range of circumstances that can lead to traumatic responses. There are so many people who suffer in silence and experience shame and guilt because they have been unable to overcome their distress on their own.

CONTRIBUTORS TO EMOTIONAL TRAUMA DEVELOPMENT
Child Trauma

• Sexual/physical/emotional abuse, neglect/abandonment, death of parent, severe parental conflict, highly contested divorce/separations, custody battle, school violence

Occupational

• Firefighters, Law Enforcement, ER Personnel, Recovery Workers, Journalists, PTSD Specialists

Relationship Trauma

• Abusive spouse/partner, Death of child, Death of spouse, Miscarriage, Narcissistic partner

Crime

• Physical assault, Rape, Mugging, Kidnapping, Torture

Medical

• Waking during surgery, Serious injury, Loss of limb, Disability, Suicide of family member, Child with life threatening illness

War/Conflicts

• Combat, Prisoner of War, Medics, Terrorism

Other

• Exposure to past trauma, Accidents, Natural/manmade disasters

Is it surprising that millions of people struggle with trauma-related symptoms? It is likely that each one of us knows someone who has experienced what the brain interprets as a significant traumatic event. Psychological trauma is treatable and sharing this opportunity is a gift that can have life changing implications.

Dr. Herbster has been a clinical psychologist for over 19 years and specializes in anxiety and trauma-related illnesses. As a psychologist and a trauma survivor as well, she knows how life changing these events can be. She believes that providing up-to-date information can assist trauma victims in turning a trauma into a triumph.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7671416

Subscribe to our Youtube channel

In May 2011, the BBC aired an episode of their revered series 'Panorama' which would shock not only the general public, but those who worked daily in care and social services. Winterbourne View Hospital for those with Learning Disabilities became the focus of the media, the law and the world.
Patients were referred from the NHS to the hospital, owned by Castlebeck Care Ltd, under the belief that they would receive appropriate care, assessment and rehabilitation, to allow the service users to return to their normal home life. As the programme documented, a severe amount of abuse was occurring there that was yet to be discovered.

It displayed care workers and nurses at the establishment hitting, slapping and abusing several patients. One carer put a woman into the shower with her clothes still on, and others sat on patients, not allowing them to get up and sometimes even using chairs to perform this act. The serious abuse highlighted the 'appalling standards of care' that were witnessed on the footage.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) reacted quickly to the broadcast, carrying out four inspections of the premises, suspending all admissions to the hospital and pursuing regulatory action against Castlebeck Care, which resulted in the closure of the unit in June 2011. With a Safeguarding Adults Board assembled through the CQC, South Gloucestershire Council and all involved in the hospital, a Serious Case Review was carried out. This was published on August 7th, 2012.

Written by Margaret Flynn, it detailed several missed opportunities for action to be taken and a lack of appropriate training amongst the many criticisms of this case. It reported how complaints had previously been made by patients of the hospital to staff and family members, none of which has been said to have been believed. Former Nurse at the unit, Terry Bryan, explained the situation to the hospital manager in the first instance. When nothing came of this, Terry wrote to the Care Quality Commission to file a Whistleblower report on the abuse that was happening at the establishment. He eventually took this complaint to the BBC, at which point it was handed over to Panorama.

The review states that the owners, Castlebeck Care had in their policies and procedures 'sufficient rules' on how the hospital was to be managed and the services executed. The criticism of this was that staff did not follow the rules and were not enforced to do so. The staff did not receive sufficient training and managers did not fulfil their duty of care. Communication problems were also noted, the most important being that the hospital did not report injuries adequately, often failing to inform the family of the patient, the NHS service from which they were referred and the CQC.

The clear theme throughout the Serious Case Review and Executive Summary was that more questions should have been asked. The organisations involved included the Safeguarding Staff, the Police and the CQC and greater communication would have made more people aware of the problems at Winterbourne View.

The Lessons To Be Learned from the review were comprehensive and a clear indication of how the services need to operate to eradicate the risk of this type of case in the future. It included making better ways to check with hospitals that their patients with Learning Disabilities had ensured safety. It also states that staff need to listen more effectively to patients, especially those with communication problems. Any patients who are taken ill, or have to go to an emergency department whilst admitted to a hospital must be reported to the relevant bodies and communicated to all involved. And lastly that any patients affected by the experience at Winterbourne View must receive any additional help required to recover from their ordeal.

The Winterbourne View case is one that gained a lot of attention from the media and in turn, the general public. Awareness of the abuse in hospitals has been heightened ever since and this will have a positive effect on the reporting of problems in this area, however there is still much to learn from this incident.

Please read the report and leave a comment of reflection of up to 250 words on our CPD social work training and we will send you, once your comment is approved, a certificate for 30 minutes CPD approved to submit to the new HCPC (The Health and Care Professions Council) registration for UK social works or any international social work CPD authority.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7330466

For more social work training and Foster Carer Training visit our portal for CPD http://www.SocialWorkProcesses.co.uk

Background
A survey was undertaken to evaluate the use of free online decision and report writing tools designed to promote compliance with the 2005 Mental Capacity Act for England and Wales. In total, 29 individual staff working across a wide range of health and social care settings completed the survey. The percentage return could not be established as the survey invitation was open to anyone who had accessed the tools regardless of whether they had used the tools or not.

Results
A total of 5 forms were removed as respondents stated that they had not actually used the tools. This made them of questionable value in terms of evaluating the usability of the tools. Within this group 2 respondents stated clearly that the tools were not relevant to their role. The remaining 3 respondents did not state why they had not used the tools.

All but one of the respondents who had used the tools reported that using the tools had increased their knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act with more than half saying that their knowledge had increased quite a lot or a great deal.

Respondents were asked to select from a range of options regarding the usability and thoroughness of the Mental Capacity Assessment tool. Considerably more than half felt that the tool made the conducting of assessments easier and more thorough and 7 respondents described the tools as faster. Only one respondent felt the tool made the process slower and one felt it was more complicated. No respondents felt that the tool made the process harder. Additional comments about the tools included, "good evidence" and "excellent".

A total of 96% of respondents said that they would recommend the tools to others.
The providers distinguish the tools from elearning systems and describe them primarily as 'real-time' decision aids and report writing tools. To assess their value as a training system, users were asked how the tools compared to e-learning systems they had used. The majority (75%) of respondents believed that the tools provided a more effective means of learning about the Mental Capacity Act than e-learning.

Respondents were invited to provide additional feedback using free text. The feedback divided into three areas including, benefits, possible improvements and problems.

Benefits

"This tool has assisted with ensuring that completing a MCA and best interest decisions are thorough and comply with the MCA."

"A great tool - has helped us a lot already in meeting the requirements as set out in Law."
"... a way to balance developing knowledge v dealing with the increasing demands placed on care staff due to reduced budgets."

"I have asked a couple of colleagues - a social worker and residential care provider to try them out. They both found them very useful, prompted them to think about things they may not have always thought about and were relatively quick to complete... if the tool means people are documenting assessments and decisions this is a step forward as many people aren't currently!"

Improvements
Main themes included points regarding the wording of some questions e.g.

"Some of the wording can be a little confusing."

"Improve the way the questions are asked."

Some comments suggested improvements to the content and additional supporting material or guidance or modifications for expert users e.g.

"Reference to cases in my view helps."

"A clarification as to whether psychological based care interventons are 'treatments', as we had a scenario where if it was and there was a major dissension then it was potentially a contested Medical Decision and should go to the COP, it was a very minor situation that did not require this but that was where the programme led us from the earlier choice, remedied by not choosing that it was a Medical Treatment."

"Workers bombarded with information these days, application must be as user friendly as possible, the DoLS tool felt quite long, and it would be extra specially useful if it was obvious that information from the report would feed into the DoLS application forms."

"A modification for Best Interests Assessors in the DoLS and MCA processes."

Some respondents found the restrictions on free text or the ability to move backwards in the tools limiting, e.g.

"Allow information to be input on what has already been completed."

"I do think free text is necessary to augment replies, and make assessments more person centered, and my concern would be people may not add any further detail."

"Allow information regarding who you have spoken to.

Problems
A number of respondents (n=5) described having technical difficulties when using the site. These included crashes and loss of connection. There are a number of possible explanations for these problems and it is difficult to establish the extent to which technical problems are due to the tools themselves, the web hosting service, the equipment and browser being used or the reliability of the respondents Internet connection. The providers acknowledge the possibility that these issues are due to the site technology.

Conclusion
The survey findings are positive and provide support for the tools. The tools appear to be valued by the majority of those who use them and demonstrate a number of strengths in terms of their usability, their utility as real time decision aids and also as educational tools. There are some technical aspects identified that could benefit from improvement, particularly technological improvement to provide a smoother and faster user experience.

Mike Hostick is a partner with ehealthtracker, the providers of Mental Capacity Act decision and report writing tools.

The free tools and the survey can be accessed at http://www.ehealthtracker.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7768098

Create your own virtual training department today!

When you are working at a place that is prone to accidents, you need safety signs to guide you with all your tasks. Although most companies would give good training on the various procedures and tasks, you still need the health and safety signs or boards. The safety symbols and signs can be tough to remember, especially if there are several signs to be remembered. In a typical manufacturing scenario, the worker class has to be informed about the safety equipment and the safety measures that they need to take while they are at work.

Some Common Signs And Symbols
One of the most common safety boards that you will see at the construction sites is the Caution sign. The Caution sign has the word Caution on the top of the board and the words Construction Area would be below it. In addition, you would also find words such as "Authorized Personnel Only."
In the electrical workshops or electronic manufacturing units, the most common safety board that you will see is the Danger sign board. The word Danger is usually printed inside a circle, and the color of the circle is red. The red color is very conspicuous and so it is used in such signs. Below the word Danger, you will find words such as High Voltage to give an indication that there is a danger of an electric shock.

The Restricted area sign is also very common these days. You will find these boards at corporate houses, manufacturing companies, or workshops. The Restricted area sign board is generally used to tell people that they cannot enter that place. In addition to the words Restricted area, you will also find the words Authorized personnel only. Again, as mentioned above, this would mean that only people who have authorized access can enter the restricted area.

If there is a restricted area sign board, you may have to use your identification card or swipe card to gain access. In addition to the identification card to the swipe card, you may also have to punch in few numbers as a security measure. Sign boards can be used for safety as well as for security. If there are chances of chemical hazards or fire hazards, it is best recommended to have first aid posters at strategic places where you find that the chances of fire or chemical hazard are high.

Where Do You Get Safety Sign Boards?
Safety and health signs are easily available in the market. You can even prepare them on your own. If you want to get customized safety and health signs, you can contact a dealer who deals in safety and health signs. When selecting the safety and health signs, you need to make sure that you have the correct signs and symbols. If you want some basic information on the signs and symbols, you can read some good safety books or check out few videos on the Internet. You can also buy the safety books from the Internet.

You will have to check out some good online book stores that are selling the safety books. When you stick the safety signs on the walls or boards, you need to make sure that people read it. You can use attractive pictures and colorful graphics to make the sign boards more conspicuous.

If you are looking out for First aid posters, Health and Safety Signs, you can visit http://www.facilitiesbuyer.com and choose the safety signs that you need.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stitch_Rojas

Approved Social Work Continuing Professional Development Training

In our experience, many practice assessors and placement supervisors are concerned about supporting students to develop their skills in linking social work theory to practice. Whilst it is not the practice assessor's role to directly 'teach' a student about social work theory, it is an integral part of their role to support students in understanding the links between the theory they have been taught in University to their practice learning experiences. In order to effectively assist a student to develop their understanding of theory informed practice, practice assessors need a level of confidence about theory. However, as stated, many practice assessors can be anxious about social work theory.

Practice assessors and supervisors have often been qualified themselves for some time. They may well think that they no longer use theory in their practice - they may think that they have forgotten the theory, that they no longer have the time to consider their theory base and that they now work on "common sense" principles. We would challenge this by saying that everyone in social work and social care is using theory on a day to day basis. They may simply not recognise this as the theory has seeped into their "common knowledge" or "practice wisdom".

In terms of the claim to work on 'common sense' principles - whose sense is common? Is your sense the same as everyone else's? Just because someone cannot imagine another way to view something doesn't mean that they aren't using theory. It just means that their one or two theories are their entire world or "sense".

Where placement supervisors are not social work qualified, they may have even more significant concerns about social work theory and practice. However, in many ways social work theory is drawn from a range of areas and disciplines. In fact workers from other backgrounds are often surprised at how familiar they are with many aspects of social work theory.

We have also heard practice assessors and placement supervisors express concerns about supporting a student in relation to social work theory through statements such as "the student will know more than me!" Whilst this may be true in terms of the student having an up to date understanding of theory in an academic sense (it isn't always!), the student is unlikely to have the experience which their practice assessors/placement supervisors have - or the ability to relate their academic theoretical knowledge to practice. We have observed practice assessors in their work with students where both the assessor and the student have avoided talking about social work theory. In subsequent discussions, both have expressed the view that the other "will know more than me!" There is merit in informing a student that as a practice assessor you feel a little out of date with theory and that you can both learn from each other. This will go some way to equalising aspects of the power differentials which always exist in practice learning situations.

Whatever the reason that practice assessors and placement supervisors are concerned about social work theory and its links to practice, the fact remains that students need to be supported to make the links and this is a key role for practice assessors.

Whilst there has been some debate about what actually constitutes a theory, in scientific terms a theory is seen as helping to:
-- Describe a situation
-- Explain how the situation came about
-- Predict what is likely to happen next
Sometimes, theories are also seen as helping to control a situation and bring about some form of change.

In supervision discussion, placement assignments, portfolios etc students should be able to describe the situation they are working with, explain why they think this came about, predict what might happen next and analyse how they can intervene and bring about some form of change. In doing so, they will clearly be drawing upon some form of theory. They may however, not be aware of this, or not be able to articulate this. This is where the practice assessor's skills in questioning and supporting a student to translate theory into practice are vital.

Students need to be able to describe the actual application and use of theories rather than just getting into a habit of listing theories when asked about their decision making. Experienced practice assessors will know how it can go: In supervision, the student and practice assessor are discussing a situation the student has worked with and the practice assessor asks the student "what theories were you using?" once the petrified look has gone from the student's face, they say "task centred practice and attachment". The practice assessor says "OK". Box ticked. Nothing further. That's not applying theory to practice - it's plucking a few phrases from a book.

The aim should be for the student to be able to describe:
-- What they did
-- Why they did it
-- How they applied each theory
-- What worked and what they might do differently in their application of a theory in future
-- What other theories may have been relevant to a situation or individual and why they chose not to use these

This is what makes the difference between someone who is studying for a professional qualification in social work and one who acts on instinct or "gut". If someone is professionally qualified, there is an expectation that they act ethically, with knowledge of why they make certain decisions, and that they are able to justify these, to managers, other professionals, vulnerable people and their families.

There needs to be scope within supervision sessions for reflection on decision making processes in relation to the use and application of theory. This is essential so that students can discuss their choices and means for coming to a decision. There also needs to be scope for theory to be something dynamic which is open to critique, as a worker who accepts everything which is "known" is not one who is thinking through application fully. A competent practitioner is one who makes informed choices with knowledge, understanding and conscious reasoning.

It is important for the practice assessor to ensure that students have opportunities to observe other workers putting theory into practice through their assessments and interpretations of need. This will enable the student to build their own confidence to try what works for them and to move away from the concept of theory as something purely academic and taught, to something which is used by everyone in the field.

Every single learning opportunity provides some scope for facilitating a student's learning about theory. A skilled and reflective practice assessor will make full use of coaching questions to enable a student to fully consider the theoretical approaches used. Theory needs to be constantly on the practice assessor's agenda to model theory-informed practice for the student.

A good working knowledge of theory is based on the perspective that each service user is a unique individual and that different approaches will be suited to individual circumstances, needs and cultural requirements. Students need to have a well equipped "toolkit" and a good understanding of the application of various approaches to ensure that this anti-oppressive, individualised approach is something they continue in their future career.

Students need to be able to move quite quickly in their ability to transfer the skills of learning about theory to future placements and work contexts. Allowing a range of activities and experiences, and focusing on building the student's confidence in discussing theory should work to achieve this.

Supporting students to understand theory will support the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, which are again relevant to the professionalisation agenda and part of every degree course. There will also be benefits to the agency and the practice assessor in seeing things from a different point of view when a student is enabled to offer a well-informed critique. Finally, and arguably most importantly, allowing students to reflect on the best theory can offer and its application to different contexts will ensure future social workers are radical, creative and challenging professionals.

The book "Social Work Theory: A Straightforward Guide for Practice Assessors and Placement Supervisors" can support practice assessors in working with students to help them understand and explain how they apply theory to their practice. The book is expressed in a manner that makes it clear we must be realistic and pragmatic. Details of the book can be found at http://www.KirwinMaclean.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2137606

>>Social worker online training website<<

Over 600,000 social workers strive every day to make a positive impact on the lives of others. If you’re passionate about helping individuals, families, organizations, and communities, a career in social work might be right for you. Social workers find themselves helping people from all walks of life in a variety of atmospheres from schools to hospitals to prisons to nursing homes and handle casework, policy analysis, research, counseling, and teaching. They deal with issues such as poverty, abuse, addiction, unemployment, death, divorce, and physical illness. If a career switch to social work appeals to you, following is a brief background of social work basics and how to make a smooth transition.

Career Outlook: According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the social work profession is expected to grow by 30% by 2010 and is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

Median Annual Earnings for Social Workers (U.S., 2004)
• Child, Family, And School Social Workers: $34,820
• Medical And Public Health Social Workers: $40,080
• Mental Health And Substance Abuse Social Workers: $33,920
• All Other Social Workers: $39,440

Education Requirements: All social workers must have a bachelors (BSW), masters (MSW), or doctoral degree (DSW or Ph.D.) and complete a predetermined number of hours in supervised fieldwork. Social workers also have to graduate from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE reports that in 2004 there were 442 BSW programs and 168 MSW programs. While some people work with only a BSW, career options are more limited, so the MSW or DSW is more common.

• BSW: Accredited BSW programs typically take four years to complete and require 400 hours of supervised field experience. With a BSW, a graduate can work in an entry-level position, such as a caseworker.

• MSW: An MSW requires two years of study and has a prerequisite of an undergraduate degree in social work, psychology, or a similar field. An MSW allows a social worker to work in a clinical setting to diagnose and treat psychological problems.

• DSW: A doctoral degree takes anywhere from 4-7 years. A DSW has extensive training in therapy and research and is qualified to teach in a university setting.

If you lack the educational or professional background, an associate’s degree may be a good place to start to see if you’re willing to make the necessary educational commitment.
For information regarding accredited social work programs, visit the Council on Social Work Education’s website: http://www.cswe.org

Licensing and Exams: Social workers must be licensed. For licensing purposes, each state has its own requirements, but an MSW is usually a minimum. In addition, licensing requires 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience.

After completing school and hour requirements, social work candidates must pass an exam. The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) develops and maintains four categories of social work licensure examinations: Bachelors, Masters, Advanced Generalist, and Clinical. Candidates should check with individual boards to find out which examinations are appropriate for the jurisdiction where they want to be licensed.

According to the ASWB’s website:
“Each examination contains 170 four-option multiple choice questions designed to measure minimum competencies at four categories of practice. Only 150 of the 170 items are scored; the remaining 20 questions are "pretest" items included to measure their effectiveness as items on future examinations. These pretest items are scattered randomly throughout the examination. Candidates have four hours to complete the test, which is administered electronically.”

For information on state licensing requirements, see the Association of Social Work Boards website: http://www.aswb.org/education/boards/
For information on exams, visit [http://www.aswb.org/exam_info.shtml]

Continuing Education: As part of renewing licenses every two years, almost all states require continuing education (CE) courses. Each state’s CE requirements vary in number of hours and approved courses, so be sure to check with the board over your jurisdiction to make sure you are in compliance with CE requirements. Many courses are available online, at sites such as http://www.speedyceus.com, which save time and money.

Types of Licenses: There are several different kinds of licenses available:
L.C.S.W. (or A.C.S.W., L.C.S., L.I.C.S.W., C.S.W.)

The licensed clinical social worker has a graduate academic degree, has completed supervised clinical work experience and has passed a national- or state-certified licensing exam. This advanced practitioner holds a license that allows him or her to receive health-care insurance reimbursements. (National Association of Social Workers)

SSW: School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. School social workers are instrumental in furthering the purpose of the schools: to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the attainment of competence and confidence. School social workers are hired by school districts to enhance the district's ability to meet its academic mission, especially where home, school and community collaboration is the key to achieving that mission. (School Social Work Association of America)

Other specialties and certifications, offered by the National Association of Social Workers, include:
• Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)
• Qualified Clinical Social Worker (QCSW)
• Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW)
• Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Social Worker (C-CATODSW)
• Certified Advanced Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-ACYFSW)
• Certified Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
• Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM)
• Certified Social Work Case Manager (C-SWCM)
• Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC)
• Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS)

Eric Morgan has been assisting companies with internet marketing for over 7 years. He currently works for MWI web design in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information on this topic please visit Speedy CEUS - Social Worker Education.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/359394

Social Work Processes - Social work CPD training

Diabetes has hidden dangers that begin before diagnosis and continue to worsen if certain steps are not taken to prevent the complications that are the true, "killers" in terms of diabetes.

Statistics show that there are around 18 million diabetics in America, both Type 1 and Type 2. It is amazing how many people, diabetics included, who have no idea what dangers a diabetic faces over their lifetime. A diabetic, all things being equal, lives almost 10 years less than their non-diabetic counterpart on average.

Why do diabetics life shorter life spans than non-diabetics? The answer is both simple and complicated. Simple in explaining in general terms, complicated in the medical sense. Without traveling the complicated route in this article, I will try to give a simple, straight forward answer to the above question. Diabetics live shorter lives than non-diabetics because of diabetic complications.

What Are Diabetic Complications?
Diabetic complications are chronic medical conditions that begin to affect the body of the diabetic. These complications are brought about mostly by a condition the medical community had named, "Advanced Glycation End products" which is simply, "excess sugar" saturating the inside of the cells of the body. This condition also called AGE for short includes coronary artery disease, vascular disease, blindness, kidney disease, retinopathy (blindness) and loss of feeling in the hands and the feet (peripheral neuropathy) among others.

Diabetes in the early stages does not produce symptoms. Unless found during a routine medical exam, it is possible for a diabetic to remain undiagnosed for years. It is during these years that the beginnings of diabetic complications can gain a foothold due excess sugar in the cells (AGE). The statistics show there is the possibility of as many as over 5 million people going about their normal lives while having undiagnosed diabetes.

Are Diabetic Complications A Certainty?
While the current consensus is that the formula for diabetic complications Diabetes + Time = Complications. What this means is there is a much higher potential of a diabetic becoming diagnosed with one or more diabetic complications over time. This is partly due to how well the individual monitors and controls his/her blood sugar.

Drastic rises and falls of blood sugar can be hard on the body and the excess sugar present in the cells create havoc on the different nerves within the body as well as the capillaries, veins, and arteries. The evidence to date show that excellent control of blood sugar and an active lifestyle goes a very long way in preventing and/or slowing down the onset of diabetic complications.

The Different Types Of Diabetes
There are two types of diabetes - Type One and Type Two. Type One attacks children and young adults and is characterized by the pancreas failing to produce insulin which is a hormone that breaks down sugars and starches while converting them into energy. Type Two occurs usually later in an adult's life and is characterized by the pancreas being unable to produce enough insulin due to several factors, obesity being one of them.

Around 10 percent of diabetics are Type One while the other 90 percent are Type Two. The major difference between the two being that Type One diabetics are completely dependent on insulin and take daily injections while the Type Two's have both those who require insulin shots while others can rely on oral medication and/or changes in diet and exercise.

The Risk Factors Surrounding Diabetes
There are several risk factors that can push a pre-diabetic into full blown diabetes.
1) being overweight.
2) family history of diabetes,
3) lack of adequate exercise.
4) history of gestational diabetes (occurs during pregnancy and usually disappears after delivery).
5) certain ethnic groups
People over 45 years of age and has one or several of the risk factors mentioned above should be screened for diabetes each year, preferably during an annual medical exam. It has been shown that people with these risk factors comprise the majority of diagnosed cases of diabetes each year.

What Tests Help Diagnose Diabetes Cases?
There are two, main tests used for determining whether or not a person has a glucose intolerance:
1) Fasting Plasma Glucose Test
2) Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
Both of these tests can determine glucose intolerance which is where blood sugar is higher than what is considered normal. This is not always an indication of diabetes however.

Can The Onset Of Diabetes Be Prevented?
People with the above risk factors can go a long way toward preventing the development of full-blown diabetes by making significant lifestyle change. What are lifestyle changes? Changing unhealthy diets to more blood sugar friendly ones, doing enough exercise to help offset increased blood sugar levels and keep the body healthy and losing weight especially if considered obese by the medical community.

If you are pre-diabetic you need to stay on a strict diabetic diet. Ask your healthcare professional for a diet that meets that criteria and limit cakes, candy, cookies, and other things made of simple sugars. Eat small, nutritious meals and eat 5 times a day instead of only three.

If you are already diagnosed with full-blown diabetes, you should follow the same diet while under the meticulous care of your healthcare professional. Keep your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar within proper limits and have your eyes checked every year.

Diabetes can contribute to blindness, kidney disease and heart disease. Complications caused nearly 70,000 deaths in 2000.

What Can The Diabetic Look Forward To?
Diabetic complications can be prevented or lessened for a longer time period by paying serious attention to lifestyle. A diabetic who eats right, keeps his blood sugar in control and within accepted limits, exercises and gets proper rest can expect to have a quality of life that is much higher in terms of the pain and suffering that diabetic complications brings into the lives of diabetics who do nothing to change their lifestyle.

What begins to occur in the diabetic who starts to develop complications because of uncontrolled blood sugars over time is a life filled with the possibility of becoming an invalid, either blind, an amputee, or suffering renal failure or a heart attack.

The above paints a rather grim picture if lifestyle changes are not adhered to. Research has shown that the diabetic that keeps their blood sugar within acceptable limits and follows a healthy, diabetic lifestyle that has been shown to be effective against diabetic complications stands a much better chance of not developing many of the complications their less than dedicated counterparts do.
There is a new derivative of thiamine (Vitamin B1) available now that is showing great promise in greatly reducing the excess sugar in the cells of the diabetic, the process known as Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGE).

Is Benfotiamine Effective Against Diabetic Complications?
Benfotiamine is a lipid soluble derivative of thiamine. Japanese researchers developed benfotiamine in the 1950's and later patented it in the United States in 1962. No one in the US medical community paid much attention to it at the time. For the past 12 years in Europe it has been used for neuropathy, retinopathy and other uses.

The chemical name and formula for benfotiamine is: S-benzoylthiamine-O-monophosphate (C19H23N4O6PS). It wasn't until a group of researchers in New York at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University released the results of their research in 2003 in Nature Medicine Magazine did the rest of the world begin to take a look at this substance.

Benfotiamine is unique and was reported by Michael Brownlee, M.D., as showing much promise in preventing nerve and blood-vessel damage in diabetics. Every diagnosed diabetic has been told by his/her healthcare provider that diabetic complications are the true killers in terms of diabetes.
If you are a diabetic or know a diabetic, you may find additional information about benfotiamine and view research that has been recently conducted showing the benefits of preventing diabetic complications by following the link to the website below.

Zach Malott is CEO of Brentwood Health International, a nutritional supplement company involved in distribution and supplying wholesale, retail and end users.

Mr. Malott is available to discuss the research as it applies to benfotiamine in terms of diabetic complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy.
He can be reached at:
Phone: 505.354.0526
[http://www.emuhealthproducts.com/benfotiamine.html]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/19479

>>Our social worker cpd training website<<

What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a defect in the body's ability to convert glucose to energy. It is caused due to insufficient production of glucose by the pancreas. In diabetes patients, the production of glucose is impaired.

What are the symptoms of Diabetes?
Patients with Type-1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a short period of time, and the condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:

• Increased thirst
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Increased urination
• Weight loss in spite of increased appetite
• Vomiting

However, because Type-2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar experience no symptoms at all.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes:

• Increased thirst
• Impotence in men
• Increased appetite
• Increased urination
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Slow-healing infections

How to diagnose diabetes?
The diagnosis of diabetes is made by a simple blood test measuring blood glucose level. Usually blood glucose level tests are repeated on a subsequent day to confirm the diagnosis. Your health care team may also request that you have a glucose tolerance test. If two hours after taking the glucose drink your glucose level is 200 or above, you will be diagnosed as having diabetes.

How can I control diabetes?

• Gather all the information about diabetes, its symptoms and causes
• Check your blood glucose level regularly
• If find any symptom of diabetes, visit your health care team for diagnosis of diabetes
• Ask your health care team about how to check blood glucose level at home
• Stop smoking
• Exercise daily
• Follow a healthy meal plan
• Check your vision at regular intervals, If found blurred visit your health care team
• Check your feet regularly for checking the occurrence of diabetes
• If you are diabetic, monitor you diabetes regularly
• Follow instructions of health care team strictly
• Avoid sweet ingredients, use sugar free food

Can diabetes be cured?
As yet, there is no treatment for either type of diabetes, although there are many ways of keeping diabetes in control. Studies have shown that good control of blood glucose (blood sugar) is the key to avoid diabetic complications later.

What are the treatment options to cure diabetes?
Diabetes is incurable. The only option is to prevent ourselves from diabetes or to keep diabetes under control.

Is diabetes a hereditary disease?
You are at higher risk of Type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes.

Complications of Diabetes
If you have diabetes, you are much more likely to have a risk of stroke, heart disease, or a heart attack. In fact, 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die from stroke or heart disease. There are three conditions that make people with diabetes vulnerable to foot problems. These are vascular disease and foot deformities. About 30 percent of patients with Type 1 diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of those with Type 2 diabetes eventually will suffer from kidney failure. Diabetes also may cause damage to nerves in your body.

Author is running an online health care guide, find more about Diabetes - its common symptom, how to check it, how to control diabetes and various treatments of diabetes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/562099

>>social worker training website<<

Diabetes affects the manner in which the body handles digested carbohydrates. If neglected, diabetes can cause serious health complications, ranging from blindness to kidney failure.

Approximately 8% of the population in the United States has diabetes. This means that approximately 16 million people have been diagnosed with the disease, based only on national statistics. The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes accounts for 178,000 deaths, 54,000 amputees, and 12,000-24,000 cases of blindness annually. Blindness is 25 times more common among diabetic patients compared to nondiabetics. It is proposed that by the year 2010, diabetes will exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death through its many complications.

Diabetics have a high level of blood glucose. The blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, which releases it in response to food consumption. Insulin causes the cells of the body to take in glucose from the blood. The glucose is used as fuel for cellular functions.

Diagnostic standards for diabetes have been fasting plasma glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dL on two occasions and plasma glucose greater than 200 mg/dL following a 75-gram glucose load. More recently, the American Diabetes Association lowered the criteria for a diabetes diagnosis to fasting plasma glucose levels equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL. Fasting plasma levels outside the normal limit require additional tests, usually by repeating the fasting plasma glucose test and (if indicated) giving the patient an oral glucose tolerance test.

The symptoms of diabetes include excessive urination, excessive thirst and hunger, sudden weight loss, blurred vision, delay in healing of wounds, dry and itchy skin, repeated infections, fatigue and headache. These symptoms, while suggestive of diabetes, may be due to other reasons also.
There are two different types of diabetes.

Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes): The cause of type I diabetes is caused by pancreatic inability to produce insulin. It is responsible for 5-10% of cases of diabetes. The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, which secrete the hormone, are destroyed by the body's own immune system, probably because it mistakes them for a virus. Viral infections are thought to be the trigger that sets off this auto-immune disease. It is more common in caucasians and runs in families.
If untreated, death occurs within a few months of the onset of juvenile diabetes, as the cells of the body starve because they no longer receive the hormonal prompt to take in glucose. While most Type I diabetics are young (hence the term Juvenile Diabetes), the condition can develop at any age. Autoimmune diabetes can be definitely diagnosed by a blood test which shows the presence of anti-insulin/anti-islet-cell antibodies.

Type II Diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes or adult onset diabetes): This diabetes is a result of body tissues becoming resistant to insulin. It accounts for 90-95% of cases. Often the pancreas is producing more than average amounts of insulin, but the cells of the body have become unresponsive to its effect due to the chronically high level of the hormone. Eventually the pancreas may exhaust its over-active secretion of the hormone, and insulin levels fall to below normal.

A tendency towards Type II diabetes is hereditary, but it is unlikely to develop in normal-weight individuals eating a low- or moderate-carbohydrate diet. Obese, sedentary individuals who eat poor-quality diets based on refined starch, which constantly activates pancreatic insulin secretion, are prone to develop insulin resistance. Native peoples such as North American Indians whose traditional diets did not include refined starch until its recent introduction by Europeans have extremely high rates of diabetes, up to 5 times the rate of caucasians. Blacks and hispanics are also at higher risk. Though Type II diabetes is not fatal within a matter of months, it can lead to health complications over several years and cause severe disability and premature death. As with Type I diabetes, the condition is found primarily in one age group, in this case people over 40 (which is why it is often termed Adult Onset); however, with the rise in childhood and teenage obesity, it is appearing in children as well.

If neglected, diabetes can lead to life-threatening complications such as kidney damage (nephropathy), heart disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), retinal damage and blindness(retinopathy), and hypoglycemia (drastic reduction in glucose levels). Diabetes damages blood vessels, especially smaller end-arteries, leading to severe and premature atherosclerosis. Diabetics are prone to foot problems because neuropathy, which affects approximately 10% of patients, causes their feet to lose sensation. Foot injuries, common in day-to-day living, go unnoticed, and these injuries do not heal because of poor circulation through the small arteries in the foot. Gangrene and subsequent amputation of toes or feet is the consequence for many elderly patients with poorly-controlled diabetes. Usually these sequelae appear earlier in Type I than Type II diabetes, because Type II patients have some of their own insulin production left to buffer changes in blood sugar levels.

Type I diabetes is a serious disease and there is no permanent cure for it. However, the symptoms can be controlled by strict dietary monitering and insulin injections. Implanted pumps which release insulin immediately in response to changes in blood glucose are in the testing stages.

In theory, since it caused by diet, Type II diabetes should be preventable and manageable by dietary changes alone, but in practice many diabetics (and many obese people without diabetes) find it personally impossible to lose weight or adhere to a healthy diet. Therefore they are frequently treated with drugs which restore the body's response to insulin, and in some cases injections of insulin.

Please note that this article is not a subsitute for medical advice. If you suspect you have diabetes or are in a high risk group, please see your doctor.

For more information, please visit our site,
http://www.diabetes-testing-2006.info

Frank Vanderlugt

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/61993

>>Social work CPD training website<<

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization of over 200 national diabetes associations in over 160 countries. Besides promoting diabetes care and prevention, the IDF tracks statistics on diabetes and diabetics on a worldwide basis.

The Federation publishes the Diabetes Atlas, a collection of statistics and comments on diabetes which is issued from time-to-time. The Atlas is based on data supplied by its members. As these are national associations, the facts and figures published by the IDF are considered quite reliable.
According to the 6th edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, which was published in 2013, the total population of the world is 7.2 billion. This is expected to have risen to 8.7 billion by 2035, ie in 22 years time.

This total population includes 4.6 billion adults and these has been projected to reach 5.9 billion by 2035. The IDF defines an adult as a person aged 20-79 years, the most likely age range for the development of type 2 diabetes.

According to the Diabetes Atlas, 382 million people around the world or 8.3% of all 4.6 million adults (20-79 years) are estimated to be suffering from diabetes. Almost half of all adults with diabetes are aged 40-59 years, the age range during which people are at their most productive phase in life.

The number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing in every country. If current trends continue, the IDF expects that there will be more than 592 million diabetics by 2035, a rise of 55%, when one adult in ten will be diabetic.

Undiagnosed diabetes
Type 2 diabetes may be undiagnosed for several reasons. There are few symptoms in the early years of the disease. In addition, the complications vary so widely that, even when symptoms do exist, diabetes may not be recognised as the cause.

The IDF figure for 382 million diabetics in 2013 includes 175 million who are undiagnosed. I must admit I was astounded when I first read that 46% of diabetics are undiagnosed. How can you count something if you don't know it exists?

Estimating the number of undiagnosed diabetics, I discovered, is relatively easy. All the IDF had to do was to arrange tests for a sample of people living in a particular area. The tests, which are carried out by the IDF's national associates, identify both known and unknown cases of diabetes, and it is a simple mathematical exercise to extrapolate to the population as a whole with a high degree of accuracy.

Many (but not all) persons who know they have the disease will be making some attempts to beat their diabetes. The problem with undiagnosed diabetes is that these diabetics will not be managing their blood glucose levels and may be developing complications, such as kidney disease, heart failure, retinopathy and neuropathy, unbeknownst to themselves.

Regional differences
The Diabetes Atlas provides statistics for 219 countries which the IDF have grouped into seven regions: Africa, Europe, the Middle East & North Africa, North America & the Caribbean, South & Central America, South-east Asia, and the Western Pacific.

The IDF estimates that 80% of diabetics live in low- and middle-income countries where the disease is increasing very fast and posing a threat to development. The prevalence of diabetes, however, varies widely from region to region and country to country. It also varies widely within regions... to an extent that suggests that the grouping of countries into regions by the IDF needs revising.

While about 8% of adults (aged 20-79) in the Western Pacific have diabetes, in certain countries in that region the proportion of adult diabetics is much higher. In Tokelau, for example, 37.5% of adults are diabetic. The figure for the Federated States of Micronesia is 35%.

In the Middle East and North Africa, nearly 11% of adults have diabetes. However this is an average for the entire region and the figures for the Arabian Gulf states are much higher, more than double the average, with 24% of adults in Saudi Arabia, 23.1% in Kuwait and 22.9% in Qatar being diabetic.
Undiagnosed diabetes also varies from region to region. In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa up to 90% of diabetics are undiagnosed, mainly due to a lack of resources and priorities. By contrast, in high-income countries about one-third of the people with diabetes have not been diagnosed.

In most countries diabetes is increasing in tandem with rapid economic development, which is leading to changes in diets, ageing populations, increasing urbanisation, reduced physical activity and unhealthy behaviour. Many governments, however, seem to be unaware of the growing crisis and the likelihood of serious consequences that could stifle their countries' development.

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)
The IDF estimates that about 316 million people or 6.9% of adults (20-79) have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). By 2035 this number is expected to have risen to 471 million (8.0% of the world's adult population).

This is serious, as people with IGT or pre-diabetes have a greatly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. IGT is also linked with the development of cardiovascular disease.

The majority of adults with IGT (about 3.5% of the world's total adult population) are under the age of 50 and are thus at a high risk of becoming type 2 diabetics later in life. Even more worry-some is the fact that nearly 1/3 of all those who have IGT are aged 20 to 39 years. Unless they overhaul their life-styles these people are virtually guaranteed to become diabetic later in life.

Adding the number of diabetics worldwide (382 million) to the number of people with IGT (316 million) gives a total of 698 million. In other words, nearly 10% of the total population of the world or over 15% of all adults (20-79) have either diabetes or pre-diabetes.

By comparison, only 33.4 million people on this planet are living with HIV/AIDS... about 1/20th of all diabetics and pre-diabetics. It's glaringly obvious that diabetes and pre-diabetes represent a massive crisis that is threatening to overwhelm global health systems.

Deaths
Received opinion is that the medical complications caused by diabetes, such as heart failure and kidney disease, are major causes of death in most countries.

However, it is very difficult to accurately estimate the number of deaths because (a) more than a third of countries do not maintain data on death due to diabetes and (b) routine health statistics under-record these deaths, because the death certificates on which these statistics are based often omit diabetes as a cause of death.

To overcome these problems, the IDF uses a modelling approach to estimate the number of deaths attributable to diabetes, and appears to have come up with some reasonable estimates.
Diabetes is expected to be the cause of about 5.1 million deaths in adults aged between 20 and 79 in 2013 and nearly half (48%) of these will be people under the age of 60. Diabetes ranks as a leading cause of premature death.

These deaths represent about 8.4% of all deaths of adults (20-79). Deaths due to diabetes are increasing. The estimated overall number of deaths in 2013 represents an 11% increase over the estimates for 2011. Death from diabetes is on a rising trend.

Health costs
There is no cure for diabetes. For this reason, diabetics have to look after their health assiduously. Where they are unable to control their diabetes through diet and exercise, they have to resort to regular medication. This can be expensive both for health systems and for diabetics and their families.

The IDF has estimated global health spending on diabetes to be at least USD 548 billion dollars in 2013... 11% of the total spent on adult health. This is expected to exceed USD 627 billion by 2035.
Where diabetes is undiagnosed, the benefits of early diagnosis and treatment are lost. Thus, the costs relating to undiagnosed diabetes must be considerable. One study found that undiagnosed diabetes in the USA was responsible for an additional USD 18 billion in healthcare costs in one year.

There are large disparities in spending between regions and countries. Only 20% of global health expenditure on diabetes was made in the low- and middle-income countries where 80% of diabetics live. On average, the estimate spend in 2013 is USD 5,621 per diabetic in high-income countries but only USD 356 in low- and middle-income countries.

However, when individual countries are compared, the disparities are extremely stark. Norway spends an average of USD 10,368 on diabetes healthcare per diabetic, while countries such as Somalia and Eritrea spend less than USD 30.

The costs associated with diabetes, however, are much wider that just the costs of providing the appropriate health services. The overall costs include losses in productivity, social costs such as disability payments, and losses of income. Without a doubt, diabetes imposes a heavy economic burden on countries, families and individuals.

To find out more, visit IDF Diabetes Atlas where you can download the book free of charge.
If you explore the site, you'll also find plenty more statistics if you click on Diabetes: Facts & Figures.

Summary
Total world population in 2013 (2035): 7.2 billion (8.7 billion)
Adult (20-79 years) population 2013 (2035): 4.6 billion (5.9 billion)
----------
Number of diabetics in 2013 (2035): 382 million (592 million)
Adult (20-79) diabetics in 2013 (2035): 8.3% (10.1%)
Number of pre-diabetics (IGT) in 2013 (2035): 316 million (471 million)
Adult (20-79) pre-diabetics (IGT) in 2013 (2035): 6.9% (8.0%)
Undiagnosed diabetics in 2013: 175 million (46% of all diabetics)
----------
80% of diabetics live in low- and middle-income countries
Number of deaths of adults (20-79) in 2013: 5.1 million
----------
Health expenditure for diabetes in 2013 (2035): US$ 548 billion (US$627 billion)
Only 20% of total health expenditure spent in low- and middle-income countries
Total healthcare spend per diabetic in Norway: US$ 10,368
Total healthcare spend per diabetic in Somalia: US$ 30
----------

Paul D Kennedy is a type 2 diabetic. He used his skills as an international consultant and researcher to find a way to control his diabetes using diet alone and, about five years ago, he stopped taking medications to control his blood glucose levels. You can find out more from beating-diabetes.com or by contacting Paul at paul@beating-diabetes.com. His book Beating Diabetes is available for download from Amazon.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8152746

>>Social work continuing professional development website<<