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Li Lang Bo
Endocrinology
About me
Li Langbo, Associate Chief Physician of the Endocrinology Department at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Master's degree holder. She is also the Executive Member and Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Women Physicians Association's Women's Endocrine Disease Prevention and Treatment Professional Committee, as well as a member of the Second Enzyme Disease Professional Committee of the Hunan Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has hosted one provincial-level research project and has published several articles as the first author in domestic core journals.
Proficient in diseases
Specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, thyroid diseases, and other endocrine disorders, with particular expertise in insulin intensification therapy for diabetes.
Voices
The dangers of hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia poses the greatest harm to the body by damaging brain tissue. If the drop in blood sugar is severe and prolonged, it can cause brain dysfunction due to glucose deprivation in brain tissues. This mainly manifests as changes in the patient's consciousness and personality, and can present as weakness, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. In severe cases, it can lead to seizures or coma. Additionally, degeneration and necrosis can occur in the neurons of the central nervous system within the brain cells, along with cerebral edema, diffuse cerebral hemorrhage, or periodic demyelination. If severe and persistent hypoglycemia is not effectively corrected, it can lead to permanent brain function impairment or death.
Can people with hypoglycemia run?
The treatment of hypoglycemia primarily involves identifying its causes, whether due to an excessive use of medication by diabetic patients, not eating meals on time, or other reasons such as an insulinoma or other causes. In these cases, treatment should focus on the underlying causes. Or, if the hypoglycemia is simply due to not eating regularly, consider if symptoms such as frequent palpitations and easy sweating are present. If you must go running, it is advised to first correct the hypoglycemia by consuming some food to raise the blood sugar. Additionally, during the run, always carry some food with you. If symptoms of low blood sugar occur, you should eat immediately, as running can consume the glucose in the blood and lower blood sugar levels. If you do not eat on time to increase your blood sugar, it might induce severe hypoglycemia. Therefore, it is recommended to correct the blood sugar level before running, and make sure to carry food with you while running.
Hypoglycemia is caused by what?
Hypoglycemia is most commonly seen in patients with type 2 diabetes. During the treatment of diabetes, hypoglycemia can occur due to excessive use of medication or insulin, failure to eat on time after exercise, or decreased appetite without appropriately reducing the medication. Another common cause is insulinoma, a type of tumor that secretes excessive insulin, resulting in lowered blood glucose levels. A third cause relates to the early stage of type 2 diabetes, where insulin resistance and delayed insulin peak times often lead to pre-meal hypoglycemia, especially before lunch and dinner. Lastly, hypoglycemia is also commonly observed in some young women with specific coloring, potentially due to gastrointestinal motility issues or other reasons leading to pre-meal hypoglycemia. It is also common in patients with hepatitis or cirrhosis, where the liver's ability to output glucose is diminished, increasing the risk of hypoglycemia when fasting.
What should people with gestational diabetes eat?
For patients with various types of diabetes, the general principle of dietary control is low salt, low fat, and a diabetes-specific diet. This means that fats and calories must be controlled. However, pregnancy is a special period that requires an adequate intake of nutrients to meet the needs of the fetus. Therefore, gestational diabetes should be managed based on one's nutritional status, and, after evaluating one's condition, sufficient high-quality protein should be supplemented. It is advisable not to consume fats, such as chicken, duck, fish, and meat, but cooking methods should be chosen carefully. Fish can be consumed steamed, and meat can be steamed or stewed, as these meats are sources of protein. However, soup should not be consumed as it is particularly high in fat. Additionally, foods like pig's feet or animal organs, which have high cholesterol levels, should be consumed in moderation. The overall principle is the same as for diabetes, but it is essential to ensure the pregnant woman's nutritional needs are met and that the fetal weight gradually increases as the pregnancy progresses. Of course, if insulin intervention is needed to some extent, insulin must be used to keep blood sugar levels within the required range.
Can people with hypoglycemia eat beef?
Whether or not patients with hypoglycemia can eat beef really depends on the specific situation. Hypoglycemia varies in severity from mild, moderate, to severe. If you're just experiencing slight low blood sugar with some hunger and mild sweating, without any mental or physical impairments, then eating some beef shouldn't be a problem and it can indeed help raise your blood sugar. However, if you are experiencing moderate or severe hypoglycemia, characterized by heavy sweating, dizziness, and especially changes in consciousness, then it is not recommended to eat beef because its digestion and absorption are slow. In such cases, it is advised to quickly drink sugary water, and if necessary, administer sugar water intravenously to swiftly increase the blood sugar levels and alleviate symptoms of hypoglycemia. Since beef is a protein, it digests slowly and therefore causes a slower rise in blood sugar.
Can people with obesity run?
The treatment of obesity mainly involves controlling diet and increasing exercise, which means "watch your mouth and move your legs." Therefore, running is definitely an option. However, for those who are severely obese, with a BMI over 30, excessive running might be too much for the knee joints to handle. For obese patients, brisk walking is primarily recommended. Another good form of exercise is swimming, which can protect the joints under the pressure of water while also burning calories. Therefore, people with obesity can run, but it depends on the situation and should not be rushed. For those who are severely obese, swimming is recommended as a way to help reduce weight.
How to self-test for gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes refers to conditions where there was no diabetes before pregnancy, and during the course of the pregnancy, specifically between the 24th to 28th weeks, a standard glucose tolerance test is conducted to screen for glucose metabolism. The specific procedure involves not eating after 8 p.m. the night before, though drinking water is allowed, followed by fasting for more than ten hours. The first blood sample is taken on an empty stomach. Then, 75 grams of anhydrous glucose, as prescribed by the doctor, is dissolved in 250 to 350 milliliters of water and consumed within 3 to 5 minutes. Starting from the first sip of this glucose solution, blood samples are taken again one hour and two hours later. The results from these three blood samples are used to determine the possibility of gestational diabetes.
What department does obesity hang?
First, I recommend visiting the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Science, because obesity itself is a metabolic disease, and now obesity is divided into simple obesity and secondary obesity. Simple obesity refers to weight gain caused solely by factors such as irregular eating habits, unscientific diet, and lack of exercise, without other underlying causes. There is also a type called secondary obesity, which is attributable to identifiable causes. For example, a common disorder in endocrinology known as Cushing's syndrome is caused by problems in the pituitary or adrenal glands, leading to an excessive secretion of cortisol in the blood. This results in the redistribution of fat and subsequent weight gain. Another example is hypothyroidism, which also causes weight gain. Therefore, it is essential to see an endocrinologist, who can determine based on clinical manifestations and actual conditions whether the obesity is simple or secondary, and then provide appropriate treatment.
What should I do if pheochromocytoma causes excessive sweating?
Patients with pheochromocytoma generally exhibit profuse sweating, which is a manifestation of sympathetic excitement. This occurs because the capillary beds throughout the body of a person with pheochromocytoma are constricted, including the sweat glands. Thus, it is easy to exhibit these symptoms of sympathetic excitement, characterized by nervousness, heavy sweating, and weight loss. So, how should this be treated? The key is to treat the cause. In the clinic, after collecting some blood history, conducting various blood tests, and performing adrenal CT scans among other imaging studies, a clear diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is made. Then, we will use some alpha receptor blockers, one to lower the blood pressure to a normal range and another to dilate the capillary beds throughout the body. After this, we proceed with the related surgical treatment. Following the surgical removal of the tumor, symptoms such as sweating will gradually be relieved.
Which department should I go to for a thyroid cyst?
It is generally recommended to see a general surgeon, or an endocrinologist, as thyroid cysts are usually benign tumors that essentially remain stable in nature. Surgery is only considered when the cyst becomes very large and causes compressive symptoms, such as compressing the trachea leading to breathing difficulties, or compressing the esophagus causing difficulty swallowing. In such cases, you should consult a general surgeon. For a typical thyroid cyst, it is necessary to check thyroid function to ensure it is normal and to regularly review with ultrasound to monitor any changes in the cyst. If there is a sudden increase in size or significant compressive symptoms, it is advisable to seek surgical treatment from a surgeon.