Celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month

South Africa recently made it on the list of nations with a high prevalence of diabetes and with November marked as National Diabetes Awareness Month, you need to spot the risks as early as possible.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), South Africa clocks in second place after Nigeria with 2.6 million people diagnosed with diabetes in Africa. In 2013, 5.1 million people died from diabetes compared to 1.5 million deaths due to HIV/Aids.

Hayley Taylor, managing underwriter at Altrisk Insurance providers, said, “According to the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology, it takes about seven years for a person to be diagnosed with diabetes for the first time, but about 30 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes have already developed complications by the time they are diagnosed. These complications are very likely to have an impact on your ability to earn a living, jeopardising your present and future financial security. This is why it is important to have long-term insurance in place to protect your finances.”

Early detection of the disease could certainly save more than just lives but money too. Diabetes affects a person’s financial security and ability to work. According to Taylor, many people fail to seek medical help until the complications have progressed.

National Diabetes Awareness Month encourages people to make healthier decisions and adopt an active lifestyle. However, it is important to note that diabetes is manageable and many people that have been are embracing it positively.

Taylor adds “If you are diabetic you have to understand and control your condition. The complications of diabetes are less severe in people who have well-controlled blood sugar levels. It is also important to note that wider health problems accelerate the destructive effects of diabetes. These include smoking, elevated cholesterol levels, obesity, high blood pressure and lack of exercise.

Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes – what is the difference?

Type 1: diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, usually begins in childhood or adolescence. It occurs as a result of a faulty auto-immune response that causes the body to destroy the pancreatic cells that produce insulin, which in turn leads to an insulin deficiency.

Type 2: diabetes, also known as slow- or adult-onset diabetes, takes many years to present. 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.