Knowledge is power in fight against SA’s silent killer

WHILE the Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the world with a high death toll, diabetes, sometimes referred to as the silent killer, impacts millions of South Africans.

As Diabetes Awareness Month is commemorated in November, we spoke to the chairperson of the Diabetes South Africa Durban branch, Sr Philile Dlamini,  to find out more.

“It is estimated that we have more than three million people living with diabetes in South Africa. Half of that number doesn’t even know they are living with diabetes. Statistics from the International Diabetes Federation, in 2019, estimated that there are about 463 million adults living with diabetes,” she said.

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Dlamini defined diabetes as a condition when one has high blood glucose, which refers to the body’s sugar levels. “This is due to the inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin, or the insulin produced is not working properly. Insulin is a hormone responsible for moving blood sugar from the blood stream into the cells where it is used and stored for energy,” she explained.

While there are several signs and symptoms of diabetes to watch out for, Dlamini noted that one can have diabetes without any of these symptoms.

“Diabetes can stay dormant for more than five years, so it’s important to check your blood sugar at least twice a year,” she said.

Diabetes symptoms include:
-Sudden weight loss or gain.
-Increased thirst.-Frequent urination.
-Constant fatigue.
-Blurry vision.
-Slow healing of cuts or wounds.
-Recurrent infection.
-Yeast infection/ thrush.
-Numbness in the hands and feet.

TreatmentFor Dlamini, knowledge is the first step to effectively treating diabetes.”The key treatment for diabetes is education. People with diabetes need information, education and support,” she said.

Treatment comes in three parts: healthy eating, exercise and medication. Diet should be well-balanced with starch, protein, vegetables and water. Dlamini noted that starch is important to provide energy and should not be excluded. The model for a healthy diet is to divide one’s plate into three sections: half a plate of vegetables with a quarter plate of starch and a quarter of protein. But it’s not all up to diet as exercise is also important.”Exercise should be constant and comfortable,” said Dlamini.

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Diabetes patients also need to use medication to manage their symptoms.”Medication is divided into two parts. There is oral medication and insulin, which is injected. Medication must be taken as prescribed at the right time and patients must be educated. With insulin, it is important for patients to know how to store it,” said Dlamini.

“Patients must also be taught how to deal with an emergency, such as low blood sugar. This is considered a medical emergency. They need to drink about 125ml of juice or cool drink to increase blood sugar levels quickly. Thereafter, they need to follow up with sandwich or a snack. In the case of high blood sugar, they need to reduce sugar levels with insulin or by drinking lots of water,” she said.

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