The Cost of Diabetes and Free Diabetic Supplies

The cost of diabetes to Americans is two-fold. There is a the actual cost of the disease in money as in supplies bought, health dollars spent, and even commerce lost because of the debilitating nature of the disease. There is also the cost to the individual that cannot be measured the quality of life lost when the disease is not controlled, the effort it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the difficulties surrounding that.

What is the cost of diabetes on the typical American lifestyle? If the disease is not managed correctly, the cost can be tremendous. One of the biggest factors contributing to diabetes is obesity, and obesity is the fastest growing health epidemic in America today. The good news is this risk factor is completely preventable and manageable; the bad news is that up to 65% of Americans are overweight. Exercise is the number one method to prevent obesity and diabetes, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle in general. There are also some oral medications that can help prevent the onset of the disease to those with risk factors or a pre-diabetic condition.

Complications from diabetes include symptoms of low or high blood sugar, such as dizziness, sweating, weakness, shakiness and nausea. If blood sugar falls too low, those affected can faint or even go into a coma from low blood sugar. The long term complications from uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes include nerve damage and kidney damage, damage to the eyes, cardio-vascular disease, Alzheimers, and a much higher risk of infection from simple illnesses and wounds being unable to heal.

The monetary cost for diabetic supplies can also be tremendous. Testing for blood sugar levels can cost up to $0.81 per test, and for those who have to test their sugar levels up to 6 times a day, this can add up very quickly. Costs can also skyrocket when diabetes is uncontrolled or poorly controlled simply because the medical expenses from kidney problems, eye damage, cardio-vascular damage and more be tremendous.

Fortunately there are many programs out there that can help diabetics to get their testing supplies for free or at a much lower cost, even if they are currently insured or on government assistance programs like Medic-aide and Medicare. Most of these programs will work directly with the insurance company to figure out the lowest-cost avenue for the patient, and to present these options to the patient in an easy to understand and helpful manner.

One of these sites where patients can apply for free or low-cost supplies is www.WebMedicalResources.com. Within this site are several places patients can go to apply to choose the right program for them. They are all free for the patient, as well as simple to fill out.

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What is diabetes?

A disease in which the body cannot convert food into energy because of a lack of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas), or because of an inability to use insulin. Diabetes is a serious condition that can cause complications ranging from numbness to loss of vision to coma. It also significantly raises the risk for other problems, such as stroke and heart disease. About 17 million Americans have diabetes.
A hereditary or developmental problem with sugar metabolism. Caused by a failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. Juvenile diabetes, or type 1 diabetes, is treated with diet, exercise and insulin. Type 2, formerly called adult onset, is now seen in overweight children. It is treated with diet, exercise and medication. In severe cases, type 2 diabetes is also treated with insulin.
A chronic condition associated with abnormally high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as insulin-dependent (type I) and non-insulin dependent (type II). Type I diabetes results from a lack of adequate insulin secretion by the pancreas. Type II diabetes (also known as adult-onset diabetes) is characterized by an insensitivity of the tissues of the body to insulin secreted by the pancreas (insulin resistance).