Today, 14th of November is World Diabetes Day. Anambra State joins the global community to mark this all important day.
The day is set aside by World Health Organization, International Diabetes Foundation, and other international agencies working on diabetes and Ministries of Health to raise awareness of diabetes as a public health issue and what needs to be done, collectively and individually, for better prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Access to Diabetes care” with the slogan: “know your risk, know your response.” This theme has become imperative as the global community has continued to witness a sharp rise in cases of diabetes globally over the past eight years. Statistics show that the global estimates of people suffering from diabetes has risen to over 18% over these years with over 382 million in 2015 and over 500 million presently.
In simple terms, Diabetes Mellitus is a long term condition that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin produced by the pancreas. Insulin, on the other hand, is a hormone that regulates blood sugar by helping to keep blood sugar levels from getting too high known technically as Hyperglycemia.
Raised blood sugar is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems such as the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels.
There are two major types of diabetes; one is the Type one Diabetes which is where the body does not produce insulin. This type accounts for approximately ten percent of all the cases. The other Type two Diabetes is where the body does not produce
enough insulin for proper function. Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type.
There are some other rare types of diabetes such as Gestational diabetes which affects females during pregnancy and Juvenile Diabetes which affects children.
It is also important to note that diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke; foot ulcers and infections which may lead to limb amputation; blindness which occurs as a result of long term damage to the small blood vessels in the retinal as well as kidney failure.
The warning signs of diabetes may include frequent urination, unusually increased thirst, constant hunger, unusual weight loss, blurred vision, extreme fatigue, cuts or bruises that are slow to heal, tingling or numbness in the hands or feet etc. The earlier a person is diagnosed, the earlier treatment can be initiated in order to reduce the risk of harmful and costly complications. A person with type 2 diabetes can live for several years without showing any symptoms, during which time high blood glucose is silently damaging the body. There is, therefore, an urgent need to screen, diagnose and provide appropriate treatment to people with diabetes.
Diabetes can be prevented through living healthy lifestyle which includes maintaining healthy body weight, engaging in simple exercise such as brisk walks and jogging, eating healthy diet with more of vegetables and fruits and less of sugars and saturated fats, reducing alcohol intake and avoiding tobacco use.
Therefore, as the world celebrates Diabetes Day today, everyone is enjoined to ensure that they regularly undergo screening for diabetes through checking of the blood sugar levels that is the Fasting Blood Sugar Test and Glucose Tolerance Tests to avoid the complications that result from undiagnosed cases of diabetes. This exercise should be carried out at least once a month. Early detection is key to effective management of diabetes.
Written by ADAKU EGOH
Comments are closed for this post.