November 30th, 2011 by PJSkerrett in Research
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My fingers hate diabetes. Several times a day they get poked with a sharp, needle-like lancet. The drops of blood they give up tell me how my blood sugar roller coaster is doing. That’s really important information I need to determine whether to eat, exercise, or give myself some insulin.
It would be such a treat to check my blood sugar (glucose) without pricking a finger, squeezing out a drop of blood, and placing it on a small test strip attached to a meter. Help may be on the way—though I’m not expecting any big breakthroughs for another few years—as researchers across the country explore prick-free ways to measure blood sugar.
Here are three interesting approaches. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog*
July 21st, 2011 by Linda Burke-Galloway, M.D. in Health Tips
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When we think of skin changes in pregnancy, what immediately comes to mind are stretch marks or Striae Gravidarum . Stretch marks occur because of a breakdown of collagen, a substance that holds the skin together and is responsible for its stretching. Teen pregnant patients are more at risk for having stretch marks. Why is that important? Because, according to medical literature, stretch marks can increase the risk of having lacerations (or tears) during birth.
Another fairly common skin condition during pregnant is called Pruritus gravidarum or generalized itching during pregnancy without the presence of a rash. Approximately 14% of pregnant women are affected by this condition and it is associated with twin pregnancies, fertility treatments and diabetes. As stated in my previous blog, itching during pregnancy should not be ignored, especially in the third trimester because it could signify a condition called Cholestasis of Pregnancy that involves an increase in bile or liver enzymes. This condition is also associated with preterm labor.
Hormonal changes of pregnancy that involve estrogen or progesterone can produce Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway*
