HomeBlogDiabetus Mellitus – Not Just an Old Person’s Disease

Diabetus Mellitus – Not Just an Old Person’s Disease

Diabetes mellitus is a non-communicable disease which is becoming more common in Malaysia as in other parts of the world. In Malaysia, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (2011) showed that 15.2% to 20.8% of the adult population suffers from diabetes mellitus, the racial breakdown being 24.9% of Indians, 16.9% of Malays and 13.8% of Chinese.

WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes is a disease in which there is too much sugar in the blood. This is because of inadequate function of the hormone insulin which normally promotes the movement of sugar from the blood into the cells of the body. This condition results in:

  • The cells of the body being starved of sugar.
  • The high blood sugar damages various organs in the body.
  • When the blood sugar is high, some of it comes out in the urine.

TYPES OF DIABETES MELLITUS

Type 1: The body makes little or no insulin. Younger patients usually have this.

Type 2: The body makes insulin but is unable to use it (insulin resistance). Eventually the ability to produce insulin diminishes (insulin deficiency). Older patients usually have this. This is the most common type.

SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES MELLITUS

Many diabetics suffer from the condition without being aware of it. The condition is diagnosed when they go for a medical check up, or when they present to a doctor for some other condition e.g pregnancy, or prior to an operation.

Others may complain of thirst, passing a lot of urine, tiredness, giddiness, itchiness, weight loss etc.

Patients may sometimes present to a doctor with a complication of diabetes like stroke or heart attack and only then they may be diagnosed.

COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES MELLITUS

When not treated adequately, numerous complications can occur. Almost any organ in the body can be affected.

  • Brain (resulting in stroke)
  • Heart (heart attack or hear failure)
  • Kidney (protein in urine and later kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant)
  • Blood vessels (resulting in ulcers, gangrene and amputations)
  • Nerves (numbness and weakness)
  • Immune system (diabetics have higher chance of getting infections of skin, urine and others like TB)
  • Other complications (Diabetics also have higher incidence of complications during pregnancy and while undergoing operations).

TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes treatment involves several measures:

Diabetes Education

Diet Control

Diet forms an integral part of diabetic control. It is a good idea to consult a dietician (and follow her advice!). Generally doctors advise a balanced diet, with emphasis on what to eat, how much to eat, how to prepare the food (e.g. method of cooking) frequency of meals and for how long (remember diabetes is a life-long disease and treatment is life-long). What is important is what you do 29 days a month, not what you do the one day of the month!

Exercise

Exercise forms an important part of diabetic treatment. A simple and safe exercise is walking 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. If you need to lose weight you obviously require more exercise (in addition to a reduced
calorie diet).

Weight control

Keeping to an ideal weight is good. However most obese patients cannot achieve their ideal weight. Hence a 10%-15% reduction is good enough.

Medication, including Insulin

Doctors usually recommend non-pharmacological methods (life style changes) before starting on drugs. However if the blood sugar is excessively high, he will start medicines also. Some patients, usually the more severe ones, will require insulin injections. Your doctor will decide this.

Monitoring

Diabetes, like any chronic disease, requires monitoring. You are encouraged to monitor weight and blood sugar. In addition to this your doctor will monitor your BP, look for damage to organs and do additional test for HB A1c levels (which measures you average blood sugar for the preceding 2 months) cholesterol, kidney tests, eye checks, foot care etc. Remember you are encouraged to do self-monitoring but self-treatment without supervision is not encouraged.

Remember, the treatment prescribed by your doctor is tailor-made for you and you only. You should not share medicines with others without informing your doctor. With proper treatment and with adequate monitoring you should be able to life a long, healthy and near normal life.

Leave a comment

İstanbul escort mersin escort kocaeli escort sakarya escort antalya Escort adana Escort escort bayan escort mersin

elazığ Escort escort ankara escort bayan izmir escort adana escort antalya escort bursa konya escort bayan hatay escort bayan