DIABETES is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
There are three main types of diabetes
1) Type 1 diabetes results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and requires the person to be injected with insulin also referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes.
Symptoms for type 1 diabetes includes
excessive excretion of urine (polyuria),
Increased thirst (polydipsia),
constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes, and fatigue. These symptoms may occur suddenly.
2) Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. (formerly referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
Type 2 diabetes comprises the majority of people with diabetes around the world, and is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.
Symptoms may be similar to those of type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked. As a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, once complications have already arisen.
Until recently, this type of diabetes was seen only in adults but it is now also occurring increasingly frequently in children.
3) Gestational diabetes: is when pregnant women who have never had diabetes before have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. It may preced development of type2 if not we'll managed.
Women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and at delivery. They and their children are also at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed through prenatal screening, rather than through reported symptoms.
Other forms of diabetes mellitus includes congenital diabetes, (which is due to genetic defect of insulin secretion), cystic fibrosis related diabetes, steroid diabetes induced by high doses of glucocorticoid.
Pancreas transplant have been tried with limited success.
Gestational diabetes usually resolves after delivery.
Diabetes without proper treatment can cause many complications such as
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CONSEQUENCES OF DIABETES?
Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
— Adults with diabetes have a two- to three-fold increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
— Combined with reduced blood flow, neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet increases the chance of foot ulcers, infection and eventual need for limb amputation.
— Diabetic retinopathy is an important cause of blindness, and occurs as a result of long-term accumulated damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. 2.6% of global blindness can be attributed to diabetes
— Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure
Adequate treatment of diabetes is thus important, as well as blood pressure control and lifestyle factor such smoking cessation and maintaining a healthy body weight.
In 2014, 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes. In 2015, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6 million deaths and in 2012 high blood glucose was the cause of another 2.2 million deaths.
PREVENTION OF DIABETES
-Eat smaller portions of food
-loose small amount of weight by being physically active for 30mins at least 2-4 times in a week
-Eat a healthy diet, avoiding sugar and saturated fats intake; and
-Avoid tobacco use – smoking increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
-Eat break fast everyday and make your meal n snack times regular by having them at the same time each day.
-drinking a full glass of water before eating may also reduce your appetite.
REMEMBER!!!
ADEQUATE NUTRITION, LEADS TO A HEALTHIER SOCIETY.
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