On November 14 each year, along with Children’s day it is also World Diabetes Day. This year’s theme on awareness is ‘The Family and Diabetes – diabetes concerns every family’.
It is apt to have these on same day, when you are a parent. 
You want to stay healthier for your kids and teach them to do same.
World Diabetes Day aims to increase an awareness of why we get the disease and how can we prevent it and effects of diabetes and the complications caused by the disease. 

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Diabetes leads us to limited lifestyle for rest of our life. It’s side effects like blindness, heart disease, kidney failure and lower limb amputation is what complicates our health further.

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1 in 2 adults are there today with diabetes undiagnosed. If they knew they are pre-diabetic, they can prevent it.

So here is simple school grade biology level explanation of the disease which can help us.

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Normal body function
Food is broken down to sugar(glucose). Sugar travel in blood stream from stomach through the blood stream to the muscles and fat cells. 
However, the sugar cannot enter the cells without the hormone insulin produced by beta cells in pancreas.
Insulin acts like a key unlocking the doors of the fat and muscle cells for the sugar to enter. The cells then use sugar as fuel to provide energy for the body.
When this happens normally, the sugar entering the blood stream at stomach is able to exit the blood stream at the muscle and fat cells. In this manner the body is able to regulate the concentration of sugar in the bloodstream.

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In a person with diabetes, one of the two things happen: 
Sugar enters the blood stream,
1. The pancreas does not produce sufficient quantity of insulin. (Type 1 Diabetes). So those with this condition have to take insulin shots and are insulin dependent.
2. The muscle and fat cells don’t respond to the insulin key. (Type 2 Diabetes). So they are insulin resistant.

In both cases the result is same. The cell doors remain closed causing sugar to be backed up in the blood stream. As a result, blood sugar level rise.

Side effects: 
1. Because the sugar is not entering the body cells, your body is not getting the fuel it needs. As a result, you may feel tired or fatigued.
2. Your body may try to dilute the excess sugar in your bloodstream by pulling fluid out of your cell. This can make you feel dehydrated and thirsty.
3. Exposure to high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the vital organs connected to the blood stream such as eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart. If not controlled properly, diabetes can lead to serious complications such as blindness, amputation, kidney failure and heart attack.

 

Managing these side effect: In order to avoid these complications, people with diabetes must take steps to keep their blood sugar level in normal range like through 
1. diet - healthier choices
2. right nutrition - healthier eating & cooking techniques
3. exercise - time invested in healthier activities
4. reducing stress - healthier lifestyle
 

In some case insulin shot is also necessary.

 

We can prevent diabetes if we know where we are today on health and learn and take steps. 
 

Stages before Type 2 Diabetes:

1) Syndrome X - Occurs when we are between age 20-30years. 
We have metabolic syndrome like high blood pressure, excess body fat around the waist, abnormal cholesterol levels and high blood sugar. 
The syndrome increases a person's risk of heart attack and stroke. 

 

How to recognise if we are in this stage:
- Developed uncontrolled weight gain: central obesity: pot like tummy growth 
- unable to lose weight 
- Test show: increased LDL, decreased HDL, elevated Triglycerides, blood pressure = inflammation of arteries = sudden stroke
- Get your Lipid profile test done. Ratio of Triglycerides/HDL<2. If it more than 2, you are in syndrome X

 

Why are we in syndrome X stage:
Eating large quantity of food with poor nutrients in it
Low physical activity
High mental, physical and emotional stress

 

2) Glucose intolerance -  When we live in Syndrome X for 10-15 years without lifestyle change means Pancreas wear out and can no longer produce high level of insulin. 
Blood sugar level rises = Glucose intolerance

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3) When we live with Glucose intolerance for 2 years with no change in lifestyle = Diabetes Mellitus

 

So, we learnt from these stages:
Syndrome X (10-15 years)—> Glucose Intolerance (2years)—> Full onset Diabetes Mellitus

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We come to know we are going to have diabetes 12-20 years before we actually get it. 
 

We can prevent diabetes today! Talk to us.