Today, November 14, World Diabetes Day is celebrated.
This year its motto is "beware of diabetes", trying to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis of the disease in order to minimize its effects on our body and its complications.
The problem
According to the International Diabetes Federation, half of adults with diabetes do not know it. Some 193 million undiagnosed people ...
Type 2 diabetes can go years without being diagnosed, during which time the person with it does not appear to show symptoms, but high blood glucose levels gradually damage the body. Sometimes when type 2 diabetes is diagnosed there are already damaged organs.
For this reason, early diagnosis is important, to start treatment before any damage appears in our body.
What is diabetes?
It is a chronic disease, in which the body either does not produce or properly use a hormone called insulin.
This hormone is produced by the pancreas and is responsible for facilitating the entry of glucose into the cells to serve as food.
When the adequate amount of insulin is not produced or it is not able to perform its function, glucose accumulates in the blood. If this increase in blood glucose is not treated, it can cause damage to the body.
Types of diabetes
There are two types
- Type 1 diabetes. It appears in children and adolescents. Its causes are genetic and unknown factors and its treatment is based on administering insulin injections, since the pancreas is unable to make insulin. It is a difficult problem to prevent.
- Type 2 diabetes. It appears in adults and is closely linked to obesity and being overweight. Although the pancreas manufactures insulin, it is not enough and is not able to perform its function. Its treatment is based on education in diet and good habits and sometimes it is necessary to treat with certain medications capable of lowering blood glucose levels.
In either type of diabetes, it is a chronic disease, it never disappears or is completely cured, but it can be controlled. Once controlled, the complications of diabetes may never appear or appear mild.
Symptom
At first they are not very specific and can be confused with other ailments.
Increased amount of urine- The kidneys work hard to remove excess glucose from the blood. They filter faster and make more urine.
Tiredness
Constant thirst
Increased appetite
Weight loss
Weakness
Delayed wound healing
Dry Skin
Blurred vision
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes
There are certain risk factors that we cannot change, such as heredity, but there are also perfectly controllable risk factors. Controlling these factors is control the risk of diabetes.
- Obesity or Overweight
- Sedentary life
- Unhealthy eating
- Family factors
How is it diagnosed?
Screening is based on assessing risk factors and possible symptoms. Health professionals handle certain tools, such as questionnaires. Through an interview, several items of these questionnaires are scored and the risk of suffering from diabetes is determined.
You can also make some determinations in blood, which can give us certainty about the presence or not of the disease.
November 14 World Diabetes Day
The celebration of this day is the world's largest diabetes awareness campaign.
In 1991 the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization decided to organize a campaign to draw attention to a problem, Diabetes, with an alarming increase in sick people in the world.
Multiple activities are carried out to make the problem visible.
This year the organization encourages the population to put a blue circle on their social media profiles and a World Diabetes Day selfie application has been created to support the project.
If you dare and download the application, the IDF gives some tips for use:
- Download the application of your device IOS o Android
- Allow World Diabetes Day to use the photo so it can be shared on Facebook page
- Take a 'selfie' or select a photo from your image gallery
- Move the blue circle around the image. Use your creativity!
- Share your 'selfie' with your friends and add a personal message.
I already have mine and do you dare?