Facts about diabetes

50 things you need to know about diabetes

As we all know, diabetes is a household name now. It is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, which is also known as blood sugar, is too high. Your main source of energy is blood glucose which comes from the food you eat. Here are 50 things for you to know and follow about diabetes.

Diabetes can come at any age, early, middle age or later. Diabetes at an early age is generally a type 1 kind of diabetes that is insulin-dependent. Wasim Akram, a well-known bowler of Pakistan, is an example of type 1 diabetes.
People having type 1 diabetes are generally thin and young on the other hand people having type 2 diabetes are generally fat or plump. Sometimes Type 2 diabetes is thin with an ugly paunch.
Type 1 diabetics need insulin to survive or they can die without it. On the other hand type, 2 diabetics may or may not require insulin. They require insulin to control their blood glucose but it is not like type 1 that they will die due to the lack of insulin.
Some people say that insulin is addictive, but that is not true. It should be taken if it is prescribed by your doctor.
Some people are comfortable with homeopathy treatment but homeopathy does not work when you need medical management.
One way to bring your blood sugar under control is by healthily losing a few kilos and not by starving.
Walking and running is the best remedy and a big boost to control your sugar glucose.
Your habit of eating sweets can kill your pancreas as sugar is toxic to the beta cell that secretes insulin.
If you have a waist size over 36 inches (women) or 40 inches (men) you need to fix your waist circumference first to address your diabetes.
Your weight can be a problem if you have a short height as you can’t get taller, you have to be slimmer.
Diet is the most important way to lose weight and not the gym. Your training starts with your kitchen.
The staple food for a diabetic is more of green vegetables and lean meat like fish and chicken and fewer carbs.
Eating processed food like noodles, biscuits, chips are a big no for a diabetic patient and one should avoid it to stay fit.
Using apps like Fitbit can motivate you to walk more and stay fit. Around 10000 steps a day are recommended by the doctors worldwide for a diabetic to control its sugar.
After a lot of practice and research, diabetes is now considered to be a surgically curable illness.
A laparoscopic operation on the stomach and intestines may have a dramatic resolution of diabetes and obesity. There are many ways of doing this and fall under the category of metabolic or bariatric surgery.
Weight loss after bariatric surgery often follows the normalization of blood glucose levels. This shows that there is an independent hormonal role for the surgery. Meaning that weight loss alone is not the reason why diabetes control happens after the procedures.
Diabetes is usually detected by a blood glucose test done or if the doctor is suspicious because diabetes is a silent disease.
Urine glucose is sometimes thought of as a test for diabetes, but that is not so. Urine tests are positive for sugar only at very high levels (more than 180 mg/dl). At lower levels, urine glucose is negative.
Urine in diabetics may show the presence of pus cells and a protein called albumin. Pus cells signify infection, while albumin leaks into the urine because of kidney damage.
As we know diabetes is a silent disease, it can get deeply entrenched till It has caused damage to the en organ like eyes, nerves kidneys, etc that is why diabetes should not be taken lightly and one should be vigilant with the treatment and follow it.
A big pot belly is a sign of visceral (organ-related) fat deposition and a potential marker/warning for diabetes. That is why one should always be aware of it.
For a diabetic patient, a little higher level of blood glucose is better than a little too low level.
When you have any procedure scheduled, you should typically not eat in the morning, and also skip the medicine you take for your diabetes. Otherwise, your blood sugar can drop very low causing you weakness and low blood pressure.
If a diabetic gets sweating, giddiness or blackouts, palpitations, etc. it may be because of hypoglycemia, which means seriously low glucose levels (below 45 is life-threatening). However, a similar presentation may occur in a heart attack, so it is best to get immediate medical attention.
You can also suffer from numb feet if you are a diabetic patient.
Patients suffering from diabetes can get early cataract and retinal damage. As visual handicaps are common, laser treatment for the eyes is available to make life easier.
Any Diabetic with eye problems should have a nephrology assessment. “The eyes are the mirrors of the kidneys”, meaning that eye damage is usually associated with kidney damage.
Because a loss of nerves leads to areas of the foot that do not have sensation, along with the fact that arteries of the leg get shrunk and blocked, the foot is a potential disaster area for the diabetic. Gangrene is a life- and limb-threatening condition.
A diabetic should take good care of their foot like an actor takes care of his face.
Diabetes is also caused by some lifestyle-related diseases like hypertension and cholesterol abnormalities.
Treatment of diabetes by a specialist typically includes medicines for high BP and cholesterol, along with aspirin.
Consulting with a bariatric surgeon is very important if your diabetes is not getting controlled easily.
If you see your glucose levels to be high and if you are not consulting a bariatric surgery you should control your diet and indulge in physical activities and consult your doctor regularly.
Dark discoloration of skin folds is a sign of insulin resistance (which is typically seen in Type II, when the body’s insulin doesn’t work properly), and is known as acanthosis nigricans. The darkening is most prominent in the creases of the neck, underarms, waist, etc.
Smoking, as we know is injurious to health and is very harmful to a diabetic patient as it destroys the blood vessels and organs. Quitting smoke is the biggest thing one can do for its health.
A diabetic with gallstones may have severe infections, including gangrene. Early treatment with lap chole is useful.
One more common disease seen in a diabetic patient is a disease called hernia. Hernia surgery is commonly done for diabetics. It is important to keep the HbA1C levels as close to 7 gms/dL as possible. Above 8 would be a no-no for operation.
Every diabetic should have a glucometer at home, to keep a check on the control of the disease and to prevent complications from too high or too low levels.
Sometimes the glucometer readings are not perfect, so you have to be careful while using it.
The best way to keep a tab on your control is a blood test for something called HbA1C (glycosylated hemoglobin). It shows how well you have controlled your blood glucose over the last several weeks. This is more useful than one single reading of blood glucose.
A diabetic can drink alcohol but the dose he/she is taking should be kept on track because an excess of alcohol is also harmful. One or two glasses are fine but not many. Quantity as well as how frequently the consumption is happening is also very vital.
Drinking calories in the form of colas, fruit juice, and alcohol is the surest way to gain weight and derail your blood glucose control. The best is to avoid it and drink healthy juices.
If you have just been detected with diabetes, don’t take it as God’s curse. It is potentially reversible. That option is metabolic or bariatric surgery (basically almost the same things).
The commonest pill for diabetes, called metformin, has been touted to be a weapon in man’s search for prolonging his lifespan and dream of immortality.
It is important to be aware of the dangers of not taking the oral pills which you are taking to control diabetes. If you don’t take the medicines regularly, your blood glucose may drop sharply and for a long period, needing emergency admission to the hospital.
Diabetics should cut their nails carefully, avoiding cutting too deep, especially in the toes.
Small skin injuries from biting off nail folds and nail-biting may lead to finger pulp infections called paronychia. These need surgery and antibiotics. The diabetic should be careful with all of these.
Diabetics get silent heart attacks as well. Please have a periodic check with your cardiologist to stay well and alive.
Fungal infections of the skin and urinary infections are likely in diabetics, so be friends with your physician. Be nice to him/her!

Diabetes may be a common disease but it has a lot of maintenance and one has to look after oneself to stay longer. The key to staying away from diabetes is having a healthy lifestyle and indulging yourself in physical activities and having good healthy food.