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DIABETES

What is Diabetes Mellitus ?

Diabetes mellitus is a condition which results from a lack of insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. It is needed for the assimilation of glucose, amino acids and fatty acids by the body for energy or storage. Deficiency of or ineffectiveness of insulin results in high glucose level in the blood.

The disease cannot be cured but it can be controlled with lifelong treatment. There are two major types of diabetes mellitus.

Type 1 (insulin-dependent) occurs mostly in young people and requires regular insulin injections.

Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) occurs mainly in older people: some can be controlled with proper diet and exercise alone; and others may need antidiabetes medication. Some may also need insulin injections. Most of those who suffer from non-insulin dependent diabetes are overweight or obese. diabetes tends to run in families.

SYMPTOMS

• Constant thirst.
• Polyuria or frequent urination.
• Getting up frequently to pass urine at night.
• Frequent hunger, strong appetite.
• Weight loss despite a hearty appetite.
• Tiredness, weakness.
• Tingling sensation and numbness in the hands and feet.
• Blurred vision.
• Recurrent skin infections.
• Itching in the private parts.

• Severe hyperglycemia(too much glucose in the blood) with too much acid in the body, can cause confusion and loss of consciousness.
• High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.
• Blindness (due to retinal damage), cataracts, and other eye disorders.
• Poor healing of wounds.
• Gangrene(tissue death) due to cut off of blood supply. This usually occurs in the toes and feet.
• Infection, in particular and soft tissue, vaginal infection, numbness, due to nerve damage with loss of sensation especially the feet.

• Heredity
• An auto-immune disorder. The body's defences attack and destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
• A viral infection that damages the pancreas which may then set off an auto-immune process.
• Lack of exercise, poor dietary habits and obesity.

• Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you think you have diabetes.
• Stick to a lifelong low-sugar, low-fat, high fibre diet. If over weight, lose weight. Control your intake of refined sugar. Spread out intake of food over the day.(Diet and weight management are often enough to keep non-insulin dependent diabetes in check and may prevent diabetes-prone people from developing diabetes.)
• Exercise regularly.
• Regularly look over your body, especially the feet, for wounds or infection: never walk barefoot. Wash your feet daily, dry them thoroughly, and apply talcum powder. Take extra care when cutting your fingernails and toenails. Shave with care.
• Practice good hygiene.
• Maintain good dental health.
• Take prescribed medicine religiously. Never stop medication without consulting your doctor.
• Monitor your blood or urine sugar regularly.
• Have regular medical checkups.

• Take blood tests initially to confirm the presence of diabetes and subsequently to check whether blood sugar is under control.
• Recommended an appropriate diet regimen and exercise.
• Prescribe anti-diabetes tablets or insulin injections if necessary. Teach you how and where to inject insulin on yourself.
• Teach you how to monitor the glucose level in your blood.
• Watch out for the development of complications and treat them.

• Avoid refined sugar, honey and excessive intake of sweets and simple carbohydrates, fats and salt.
• If overweight, reduce weight.
• Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise(e.g., cycling, jogging, vigorous sports, swimming, brisk walking),decreases the risk of heart disease, helps control your weight and helps the body to maximise the effects of insulin.
• If you have a family history of diabetes and you are over 40 years, have your blood checked for sugar 2 hours after a good meal. You should repeat this every year or two as many people have diabetes for years without feeling unwell.