Diabetes

Diabetes is the mother of all diseases; it’s so pathetic to note that 422 million people in the world to have diabetes according to World Health Organization (WHO), now that’s more than twice the population of Nigeria! And it’s expected that in the next five years that figure will double to 844 million! There's hardly any home you go to you'll not find a person battling with diabetes, it’s either the mother has diabetes; the father is battling with hypertension. So, when it comes to diabetes it goes beyond I have so much glucose on my blood stream no! That’s not how we define diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the pancreas no longer secrets insulin or when the cells, tissues in the body have stop responding properly to insulin produced. For a person to become diabetic, it begins from the pancreatic level. There's a hormone we called insulin it’s a regulatory hormone. What it does is that it ensures blood glucose is properly regulated to produce energy. Now when a person takes in anything sugary, the pancreas secrets beta cells, the beta cells secrets insulin the insulin takes in the glucose the body needs and flushes out the rest. When a person is diabetic, it can be anyone of the three:

Type 1 diabetes: Insulin Dependent Diabetic Mellitus or juvenile diabetes: Is an uncommon form of diabetes and it’s usually develops in childhood or adolescence. Its cause by lack of insulin due to the destruction of the insulin producing beta cells by the immune system of the body. Here, the sufferer will have frequent and rapid swings of blood sugar level between hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia. It is genetic, causes are unknown.

Type 2 Diabetes or Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetic Mellitus or Adult onset Diabetes: This is a more common form of diabetes and it occurs when the cells of the body stop responding properly to insulin produced. It’s caused by a combination of factors, insulin insensitivity, a condition in which the body muscles, fat and liver cells do not use insulin effectively because the body can no longer compensate for the impaired ability to produce insulin. This type of diabetes develops in middle age and older people who are overweight and obese.

Gestational Diabetes: Is common with pregnant women and its usually resolved after the birth of the baby. It’s usually occurs in the second and third trimester in pregnancy. Causes are unknown but risk factors include: Infection of the pancreas- pancreatitis, obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

CAUSES OF DIABETES: Family history (genetics), bad eating habit: Excessive intake of carbohydrate food, sedentary lifestyle, low pancreatic function, insulin insensitivity.            CLINICAL MANISFESTATIONS: Extreme tiredness caused by repeated stress, polyuria (increased urination), polydipsia (increased thirst), polyphagia (increased hunger), severe weight loss, blurry vision, headache, slow delay in wound healing, diabetic dermadromes: A number of skin diseases COMPLICATIONS: Diabetic retinopathy: Damaged of blood vessels in the retina of the eye which can result in gradual loss of vision and blindness, Diabetic Nephropathy: The disease of the kidney- this will lead to chronic kidney disease which sometimes will require dialysis or kidney transplant, Diabetic neuropathy: Damage of the nerves of the body, cardiovascular disease, numbness, impotency, amputation of the foot due to foot ulcer.

Prevention: Know your family history (genetics), health education and sensitization, Dietary measures: Always eat sufficient food rich in fibre and 100% whole grains, lifestyle changes: Avoid sedentary lifestyle. Stay physically active by engaging in regular exercise to maximise body weight.