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Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

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Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#141

Post by RA_Fisher »

trekky1700 wrote: post #92
MrFoof wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>type I diabetics with the best control are actually more likely to die from severe low blood sugars. I'm very much in this crowd. Type 1, AIC of 6.3, LDL cholesterol around 100, BP of 110/72-75. This is with completely manual testing and subcutaneous insulin injections. The problem of keeping your blood sugar towards an A1C of 6 is you have insulin reactions. Quite often, as you're being rather aggressive in keeping…

Just curious, how old are you and how long have you had it? I've had it for 11 years this February, and while my A1C is pretty terrible (high), the idea that I might not be able to detect lows eventually is pretty terrifying.

In my experience (Type 1 partner), it's repeated and severe lows, say like 4 or 5 in a week, that will give you hypo-unawareness. It's definitely possible to experience that and still have a high A1C, but I don't see it causing hypo-unawareness. I'd highly recommend a pump to get more control.

Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#142

Post by berkes »

mortov wrote: post #137

I'm amazed at how many people on HN are diabetic ! Could be an interesting study on cause/effect - is all this sitting at screens contributing to an epidemic or are there other factors ? Perhaps respondents are just self-selecting because of the subject matter ? It's also interesting how anyone who needs to track their blood sugars likes the idea of an easier and more convenient method - typical finger prick readings…

Please don't confuse Type I with Type II.

Type II is caused by external influences, such as unhealty life-style, old age, or other medical conditions (which include genetic defects or other genetic variations).

Type I is genetic. If you have the faulty genes, you get it. Regardless of lifestyle, health, country and whatnot.

Another thing many people are confused with, is "severety of Diabetes". You can have "very severe Type II" or "just a little Type II", but you cannot have "severe Type I", Type I is binary: you have it or you don't.

As a Type I, I'd love to see the medical world and then the rest of us, using a different term for Type I Diabetics, because the deseases are entirely different: the cause is different, the effect is similar.

As a Type I, people often blame me for my desease. Often people think it is because of unhealty lifestyle. "Ah you are a diabetic, many programmers have Diabetes, guess its because they sit around all day, haha". This is infuriating. No matter how healthy I am, whether I am a programmer or bycicle-courier, I'd have gotten my Diabetes anyway. Type I is one of these deseases that you can do absolutely nothing against, other then not passing on your faulty genes to children.

Edit: clarified the sentence where I am blamed for having Type I. Edit2: As pointed out below, Type II can be influenced by genetics too, made that more clear.

Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#143

Post by berkes »

trekky1700 wrote: post #101
morganherlocker wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, Panic Room. The movie in which a child has a severe low blood sugar, on the edge of death, and her mother administers here a large shot of... insulin! I could not believe it when I saw it. The treatment given in the movie would have killed her in no time. For future reference, in case anyone comes across a diabetic experiencing a seizure. Do not give insulin in this case. This will lower blood sugar further. What…

This has always been one of my biggest fears. People always assume diabetics need insulin, when in most cases of unconsciousness, insulin could be deadly.

I carry a note in my diabetes-bag with me (next to that glucagon-injection) saying: "Don't give me insulin. Ever!" I translate that to other languages when I travel abroad.

My biggest fear is to go out because of low sugar, then someone with good intentions killing me, for wanting to help me.

Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#145

Post by dagw »

berkes wrote: post #142
mortov wrote: post #137

I'm amazed at how many people on HN are diabetic ! Could be an interesting study on cause/effect - is all this sitting at screens contributing to an epidemic or are there other factors ? Perhaps respondents are just self-selecting because of the subject matter ? It's also interesting how anyone who needs to track their blood sugars likes the idea of an easier and more convenient method - typical finger prick readings…

Please don't confuse Type I with Type II. Type II is caused by external influences, such as unhealty life-style, old age, or other medical conditions (which include genetic defects or other genetic variations). Type I is genetic. If you have the faulty genes, you get it. Regardless of lifestyle, health, country and whatnot. Another thing many people are confused with, is "severety of Diabetes". You can have "very sev…

How easily and how severely you get Type II is however also influenced by genetics.

Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#146

Post by berkes »

berkes wrote: post #142
mortov wrote: post #137

I'm amazed at how many people on HN are diabetic ! Could be an interesting study on cause/effect - is all this sitting at screens contributing to an epidemic or are there other factors ? Perhaps respondents are just self-selecting because of the subject matter ? It's also interesting how anyone who needs to track their blood sugars likes the idea of an easier and more convenient method - typical finger prick readings…

Please don't confuse Type I with Type II. Type II is caused by external influences, such as unhealty life-style, old age, or other medical conditions (which include genetic defects or other genetic variations). Type I is genetic. If you have the faulty genes, you get it. Regardless of lifestyle, health, country and whatnot. Another thing many people are confused with, is "severety of Diabetes". You can have "very sev…

That said, there will be a correlation between Type I and amount of people in a certain branch of work.

First, because there are a lot of professions one is not allowed to (this is different per country, obviously), but in general professions where you operate machines (pilot, truckdriver, sawmills etc) or which are physical (police, army, firefighters) and many more.

Which means that other, "Type I-friendly" professions get more Type I diabetics, obviously.

Sitting around all day in an office, is not particularly good for your Type I, but it's not dangerous either.

So, yes, there might be a correlation between certain professions and the amount of Type I diabetics they attract, but that is cause-and-effect turned around: not the profession causing the desease, but the desease preferring certain professions.

Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#147

Post by berkes »

dagw wrote: post #145
berkes wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please don't confuse Type I with Type II. Type II is caused by external influences, such as unhealty life-style, old age, or other medical conditions (which include genetic defects or other genetic variations). Type I is genetic. If you have the faulty genes, you get it. Regardless of lifestyle, health, country and whatnot. Another thing many people are confused with, is "severety of Diabetes". You can have "very sev…

How easily and how severely you get Type II is however also influenced by genetics.

Yes, By no means did I mean to say that getting Type II is always "the person's own fault". Not at all!

I included "other medical conditions" which includes "genetics" too. But I guess that was not entirely clear. I've edited my comment to point that out more clearly.

Sorry if I hurt anyone, it was not intended!

Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#148

Post by berkes »

jerryhuang100 wrote: post #54

One major concern I would have is that, in diabetic patients their eyes experience more dryness than non-diabetic patients. This might lead to more scratches on the cornea and prone to further infections and ulcers. As diabetics care 101, diabetics patients have mucher high risk of systematic infections. And this is all way before any diabetic retinopathy develops in those patients. So why Google[x] thinks it's a goo…

AS a Type I, my doctor advised me strongly to start wearing glasses and stop wearing lenses. Because they would apparently increase the risk of early blindness even more.

Re: Introducing our smart contact lens project (for diabetics)

#150

Post by coldpie »

bigtunacan wrote: post #121
trekky1700 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious, how old are you and how long have you had it? I've had it for 11 years this February, and while my A1C is pretty terrible (high), the idea that I might not be able to detect lows eventually is pretty terrifying.

Not speaking for the parent, but I'm a 35 year old T1D who has been diagnosed for only about 7 years and I am already nearly asymptomatic when I have low blood sugars. The risk of becoming asymptomatic for low blood sugars increases over time, but it is completely inconsistent. Some diabetics have always been asymptomatic for low blood sugars, others will go their whole lives and always have easy to detect symptoms.…

I was diagnosed when I was 12, about 13 years ago, and I can usually still detect when I'm under 60 or 70. I'm one of the tight-control types that the OP mentioned (6.4 A1c), so this happens a few times a week. I usually notice it when I can't think, and instead wander over the same two thoughts back and forth. Suddenly I realize I'm thinking in the tiniest of circles and go have some yogurt or something.

The first thing my endocrinologist asks when I see him (literally, before he even asks how I'm doing today) is if I can still feel lows. I think he'd get me on a CGM pretty quick if I reported I couldn't.

I'm super interested in this contact lense solution.

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