Details: Category: Region 9; Published: 12 March 2021

RO9 Diabetes Did you experience extreme thirst, increased hunger, and the need to urinate frequently? It’s time to consult your doctor now because you may have diabetes. These are the three common symptoms of diabetes: Polyuria-frequent urination; Polyphagia-increased appetite; and Polydipsia-increased thirst. Other symptoms may include weight loss, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, erectile dysfunction, and sores that don’t heal.

Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that affects how your body turns food into energy. It occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. After a meal, most of the food we eat is broken down into sugar and enters the bloodstream through the small intestine, which signals the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that maintains normal blood glucose levels by facilitating cellular glucose uptake. It also signals the liver to store blood sugar as glycogen for later use. Lower insulin levels alert the liver to release stored blood sugar (glycogen) so energy is always available.

There are three main types of diabetes- Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes previously called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults. It is characterized by deficient insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin. You’re more likely to get type 1 diabetes if you’re a child or teenager, having a parent or sibling with the condition, or carry certain genes that are linked to the disease. Type 2 diabetes, formerly called non-insulin-dependent, or adult-onset, results from the body’s ineffective use of insulin.

Your risk for type 2 diabetes increases if you are:

Overweight
age 45 or older
have a parent or sibling with the condition
physically inactive
have had gestational diabetes or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
have prediabetes, and
have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high triglycerides.

Gestational diabetes is hyperglycemia with blood glucose values above normal but below those diagnosed with diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. Pregnant women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery. These women and their children are also at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.

You’re at risk for developing gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant) if you are:

Overweight
more than 25 years old
have a family history of type 2 diabetes
had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
Have given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds and
have a hormone disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS).

Diabetes can damage organs and tissues throughout your body such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. According to the World Health Organization, adults with diabetes have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Combined with reduced blood flow, neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet increases the chance of foot ulcers, infection, and the eventual need for limb amputation. Diabetic retinopathy is an important cause of blindness and occurs as a result of long-term accumulated damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. Diabetes is the cause of 2.6% of global blindness and it is among the leading causes of kidney failure. It is also one of the top leading causes of mortality in the Philippines. We can prevent diabetes with simple, proven lifestyle changes such as eating healthy foods, engaging in regular physical activity especially when you are overweight, and avoiding tobacco use – smoking increases the risk of diabetes, and getting regular physical activity. Always remember, prevention is better than cure so let us live a happy and healthy life.

-PNC-ZDN Rowence F. Zorilla

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