Around the world, an
estimated 347 million people suffer from the disease – according to
figures from 2008 – with that figure rapidly growing.
In particular,
diabetes increasingly affects poor and middle-income countries,
according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
WHO projects that by
2030, diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death in the world so it is
easy to understand why the disease is being highlighted in today’s World Health
Day.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a lifelong
chronic disease where the pancreas does not produce enough of the hormone
insulin – or – if it does, the person’s body cannot effectively use it.
If the body cannot
access insulin for whichever reason, sugar can build up to harmful levels in
the blood, which can lead to hyperglycemia (too much blood sugar) or
hypoglycemia (too low sugar in the blood).
Over time this can cause
major complications in the body including heart attacks, strokes, nerve damage,
kidney failure, blindness, impotence and infections that may lead to
amputation. This is particularly prevalent in those with high blood sugar
levels.
Gestational diabetes is a condition some pregnant women suffer.
It’s where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to
make them Type 2.
It can increase the risk
of complications during pregnancy and delivery. Women with it, and their
children, also have more chance of developing Type 2.
Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) and Impaired Fasting Glycaemia (IFG) are intermediate conditions in the
transition between normality and Type 2 diabetes.
What
does insulin do in the body?
Insulin, produced in the pancreas, is a hormone needed in the body to break down sugar (glucose) carbohydrates in our food and convert it into energy or store for future use.
Insulin also regulates
your blood sugar and prevents it from getting too high (hyperglycemia) or too
low (hypoglycemia).
What
is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
People with the diabetes either have one of two different types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2 – depending on how much insulin they produce.
Those suffering from
Type 2 diabetes produce some insulin – but not enough and often their
bodies are not able to properly use the hormone.
Anyone with Type 1
diabetes typically produces no insulin at all, meaning they need to inject
themselves on a daily basis to survive.
What causes diabetes?
It is not known what
causes Type 1 but it often runs in families so is thought to be genetic.
You have a higher chance of developing Type 2 if you are over 40 (or
over 25 if you are of south Asian descent), have a close relative with
diabetes, are overweight or obese, or are of south Asian, Chinese,
African-Caribbean or black African origin (even if you were born in the UK).
Symptoms and signs of diabetes
Often there are no symptoms. However, you may experience the following
-Feeling very thirsty
-Weeing more often than
usual, particularly at night
feeling very tired
feeling very tired
-Weight loss and loss of
muscle
-Itching around the
penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
-Cuts or wounds that
heal slowly
-Blurred vision
How can I avoid Type 2
diabetes?
Lose
excess weight.
A
healthy diet and exercise are the key to a healthy weight, but that doesn’t
have to mean a strict diet and hours at the gym.
Aim
for 30 minutes of exercise a day and stick to a diet high in vegetables
and fruit and low in sugar and saturated fats.
What’s the history of
World Health Day?
When the UN was formed in 1945, it was decided a global health organisation should be set up.
The
World Health Organisation was born on April 7, 1948.
It
was decided this anniversary should be marked with a day educating people on an
important global health issue.
The
first World Health Day was in 1950 and, since then, it has spread awareness on
everything from food safety to blood pressure.
The
day is also a celebration of the World Health Organisation itself.
How can I learn more about diabetes and World Health
Day?
Log on the the World Health Organisation website and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #diabetes and #WorldHealthDay.
Diabetes UK also
offers information and support.
The NHS has a Diabetes Checker to
see if you may be at risk of Type 2.
Source;
metro.co.uk
