WORLD DIABETES DAY: Know the signs
Today is World Diabetes Day. Know the signs and symptoms and the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated annually on 14 November. WDD was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organisation in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes.
Hearing the diagnosis for the first time that you have diabetes can be overwhelming and may leave you with mixed emotions – it’s stressful, requires an entirely new approach to aspects such as lifestyle, diet and exercise, and it’s tough to manage for the whole family.
It’s one of the reasons why this year’s theme for World Diabetes Day – “The Family and Diabetes” – provides important educational support for families living with diabetes.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) theme for World Diabetes Day 2018 and 2019 is ‘The Family and Diabetes’. The focus is on raising awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family and support network of those affected, and to promote the role of the family in the management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.
“The most important message we can give is that if you are living with either type I or type II diabetes – it’s perfectly possible to lead a healthy, fulfilling and active life with the right healthcare and family support, medication and personal attitude,” explains Dr Aneesa Sheik, Medical Director at Lilly South Africa.
So what’s the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
• If you have Type 1 diabetes, your body is unable to produce sufficient insulin of its own in order to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It usually begins in childhood or adolescence and is caused by a faulty autoimmune response that causes the body to destroy the pancreatic cells that produce insulin, which in turn leads to an insulin deficiency. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin as it is vital to staying healthy and achieving the most consistently normal sugar levels, and quality of life. There’s no cure for type 1 diabetes although researchers are working on preventing the disease as well as the further destructive progression of the disease in people who are newly diagnosed.
• Type 2 diabetes is far more common and according to the IDF, there were 1.28 million diagnosed cases of diabetes in South Africa in 2017, with a prevalence of 5,4% in the adult population³. In the case of type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced, but the body’s cells do not respond to it correctly. Instead, the body becomes resistant to insulin. It is most often, but not always, associated with obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, advancing age, family history of diabetes, ethnicity and high blood glucose during pregnancy. It can go undiagnosed for years. Due to the progressive nature of the disease, most type 2 cases will eventually need insulin to be added to their treatment. However, many cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented by making simple changes in our everyday lives and knowing the risks.
Understand the symptoms
Sometimes people overlook the warning signs of diabetes because they do not experience symptoms, or the symptoms seem harmless. It is important to talk with a health care provider if you have noticed:
• unusual weight loss,
• frequent urination,
• tingling or numbness in your hands or feet,
• a persistent feeling of hunger or thirst,
• drowsiness, nausea or blurred vision.
• Slow healing wounds
• Frequent fungal infections
Poor management of diabetes today has significant health repercussions for later on in life such as kidney failure, heart failure, blindness and nerve damage. The damage to the nerves may ultimately result in a loss of limbs. How well you manage your diabetes today, will influence the quality of life you can expect to live later in life.
