Diabetes is a lifelong disease that affects millions of people every year. This disease occurs when the body cannot dissolve the sugar (glucose) in the blood. This disease can cause many diseases. According to a report, an astonishing 25 percent of people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it. This problem is increasing rapidly. According to the statistics for 2021, about three million adults in Pakistan are suffering from this disease.
As per a new report, one out of every four individuals in Pakistan is diabetic, and this number is expanding quickly. Every year in Pakistan, about one and a half to two lakh people become disabled due to diabetes. Not only this, but diabetes is also the eighth-leading cause of death in Pakistan, and the number of people affected by it has increased by 50 percent since 2005. Despite these risks, people with diabetes are not aware that changes in their daily routine can improve many cases.
When we eat, our body converts starch (carbohydrates) into sugar (glucose), after which the hormone insulin, produced in the pancreas, instructs our body's cells to use this sugar for energy. Diabetes occurs when insulin is not produced in adequate amounts. Due to this, sugar starts accumulating in our blood. According to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 53 million people worldwide are suffering from this disease. According to the World Health Organization, this number was five times higher than 40 years ago. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes begin to appear in childhood or adolescence and are more dangerous.
There are two types of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin, which causes sugar to accumulate in the bloodstream. The specific reason for this isn't known. It is believed to be because of hereditary qualities. Caused by or due to a viral infection, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas become damaged. About 10 percent of diabetics have type 1. In type 2, the pancreas either doesn't make enough insulin or the insulin it does make doesn't work properly. This typically ends up in mediocre mature and more established individuals.
Some pregnant women develop gestational diabetes when their bodies do not make enough insulin for them and the baby. According to an estimate, 6 to 16 percent of women develop diabetes during pregnancy. They then have to control their sugar levels through diet and exercise to prevent them from converting to type 2 insulin. Can be informed.
If people with diabetes quench their thirst with juices, milk, etc., it can be a dangerous sign. These sugary drinks increase the amount of sugar in the blood, which does not quench thirst.
The body of people suffering from diabetes does not work very well in converting food into sugar, which results in increased blood sugar and therefore makes them start urinating more, but most people with this disease are aware of this silent symptom. They don't focus on it.
Feeling very tired from walking or working, or feeling tired all the time, can be an important symptom of diabetes. Lack of it leads to feelings of fatigue and lethargy. Similarly, in type 2 diabetes, the feeling of fatigue also dominates due to high and low sugar levels.
Weight gain is considered a risk factor for diabetes, but weight loss can also be a symptom of the disease. Loss of body weight is due to two reasons: one is the lack of water in the body, and the other is that the body does not absorb the calories found in the sugar in the blood. When people with diabetes begin to control their blood sugar, this can result in weight gain, but this is a good thing, as it means that blood sugar levels are more balanced.
In the early stages of diabetes, the lens of the eye cannot fully focus on the scene as the amount of glucose in the eye increases, resulting in a temporary change in its structure or shape. In six to eight weeks, when the patient's blood sugar level stabilizes, the blurred vision disappears as the eyes adapt to the physical condition, and in such a case, a diabetes check-up is necessary.
The immune system and processes that help to heal wounds cannot function effectively when blood sugar levels are elevated, resulting in cuts or bruises taking longer than usual to heal.
Elevated blood sugar levels before the onset of diabetes can lead to physical complications. The disease also damages the nervous system, and as a result, your feet may experience more tingling or numbness than usual, which is a warning sign.
Elevated degrees of sugar in the blood can harm veins. If blood doesn't stream as expected in the body, it doesn't arrive at the organs where it's required, prompting nerve harm. , which can cause agony and loss of sensation, vision, and disease in the feet. Diabetes is a significant reason for visual deficiency, kidney disappointment, cardiovascular failure, stroke, and removal.