The word “diabetes mellitus” is derived from a Greek word meaning “to siphon” and its equivalent meaning in Latin is “sweet like honey.”
According to “The New York Times” the data from the International Diabetes Federation shows that in the past 20 years, the cases of diabetes diagnosed has risen from a staggering 30 million to 230 million. Seven out of ten countries with the highest diabetes incidents belongs to the developing world. “Diabetes is one of the biggest health catastrophes the world has ever seen,” quips Dr. Martin Silink, the federation’s President, and further added, “In some of the world’s poorest nations, the disease is a quick death sentence.”
The alarming increase in diabetes worldwide made Britain’s Professor George Alberti, president of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) remarked diabetes as “one of the biggest health catastrophes. More than 300 million people worldwide have impaired glucose tolerance that could pave the way of having diabetes according to the IDF numbers. Type two 2 diabetes, some time ago affects mostly older people, is now becoming prevalent in British youngsters who have grown to have problems regarding obesity due to intake of junk foods and lack of exercise. “The enormous frustration is that most of this is preventable through lifestyle,” says Alberti. Developing countries may also see diabetes soar as they adopt “the unhealthy diet and urban lifestyles of the affluent world,” said The Guardian. In India where diabetes has the highest incidents of diabetes cases, experts pointed to diet and life-style changes as the main reasons.
Diabetes has been dubbed as “a disorder of the very engine of life”. When the body fails to metabolize glucose, chain reaction will take place as a number of essential mechanisms go wrong, sometimes with leading to life-threatening consequences. “People don’t die directly from diabetes,” says Dr. Harvey Katzeff, “they die from complications. We do a good job of preventing complications, but a poor job of treating [them] once they occur.”
But there is still hope for those who are badly affected with diabetes, that is knowing the degree of the seriousness of the disorder and
Is there hope for those who? Yes—if they recognize the seriousness of the disorder and agree to a series of vital treatment programs.
Even though Type 1 diabetes cannot be barred, scientists are immersing in a study about the genetic risk factors and are attempting to find answers to stifle an immune attack, but with type 2 diabetes cases, “the picture is much brighter,” according to the book Diabetes—Caring for Your Emotions as Well as Your Health. “Many of those who might be genetically susceptible avoid showing any sign of this disease simply by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, thereby staying physically fit and keeping their weight within normal limits.”
Underscoring the value of exercise, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported on a large study involving women. The large study done by the Journal of the American Medical Association discovered that “a single bout of physical activity increases insulin-mediated glucose uptake [by the body’s cells] for more than 24 hours.” Thus, the report reckoned that “both walking and vigorous activity are associated with substantial reductions in risk of type 2 diabetes in women.” The researchers advise at least 30 minutes of modest physical activity in as many days in a week. This includes a simple exercise like walking, says the American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes, “is probably the best, safest, and least expensive form of exercise.”
Moreover exercise by people with diabetes should be undertaken with the supervision of a professional. The reason is that diabetes can injure the vascular system and nerves, thus have an effect on blood circulation and feeling. Therefore, a simple scrape on the foot may go unobserved, get infected, and eventually become an ulcer which could pose a serious condition that may lead to amputation if not treatment are not done right away.
An exercise routine can assist one to manage diabetes well. “The more researchers study the benefits of regular exercise,” according to the ADA Complete Guide, “the better the news gets.”
Scores of people with diabetes must augment their diet and exercise program with daily testing of glucose levels together with numerous insulin injections. Improved health through diet and a good regular of exercise will indeed reap fruits; some of those with Type 2 diabetes have been able to discontinue insulin therapy.
If insulin is needed, those with diabetes need not feel disheartened. There is no failure on the part of the sufferers, for whatever types of diabetes one has, careful control of blood sugar will minimize other health problems afterwards.
In a recent study reports that people with Type 1 who keeps an eye in controlling their blood-sugar levels reduce risk of the occurrence of diabetic eye, kidney, and nerve diseases. The risk of eye disease (retinopathy) was reduced by a significant 76 percent. Same results to those with Type 2 who kept strict control of their blood-sugar levels.
To put together insulin therapy easier and less traumatic, syringes and insulin pens must have microfine needles decrease distress and uneasiness. The first shot proves to be the most difficult, after that; however, the majority of the patients say they barely feel some aches. Other methods of injection include automatic injectors that spurt a needle into the skin with no pain at all, jet injectors that shoots insulin through the skin literally by virtue of a fine jet blast, and infusers that uses a catheter that settle in place for two or three days. The insulin pump which is about the size of a pocket pager has secured popularity nowadays. This programmable device give out insulin through a catheter at a stable rate according to the body’s daily needs, making insulin dispensation more accurate and convenient.