Everyone in this world is bound to know someone who has diabetes but still the information regarding diabetes among people is incomplete and in everyday practice I find myself spending a significant portion of my time explaining the concept of the disease even to patients who have been diabetic for years together.
So what is Diabetes? Diabetes are a group of disorders which have elevated blood sugars as a common finding. The causes or reasons for the increase in blood sugars have been used to classify diabetes into various types. Which I will be dealing with later.
How common is Diabetes? Diabetes is the leading non communicable disease in the whole world with significant proportions of the population affected in developing countries. Data have suggested prevalence of diabetes between 20 to 30 percentage of adult population worldwide with increasing numbers with age.
Do you have Diabetes? The most common thing that people say after a diagnosis of Diabetes is that they feel completely normal and it is unlikely that they have diabetes. But the thing is, diabetes and hypertension do not produce much symptoms until significant complications have occurred. They are called as silent killers, ninja diseases if you will.
Some people report with symptoms of elevated sugars such as increased appetite, increased frequency of urination or increased thirst, but most people tend to overlook these symptoms and blame it on stress or the weather. People tend to get concerned only when they lose significant weight or become easily tired. Mind you these symptoms can occur due to other reasons also. Hence if you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is better to consult a physician.
Significant number of patients are diagnosed by screening investigations done during a routine physical or for while evaluating another ailment. In reality a diagnosis of diabetes is a surprise for many and a portion of these people tend to not believe in the diagnosis.
In subsequent posts I will discuss the various strategies to manage diabetes and the various complications which can occur due to it.
where you or a loved one diagnosed with Diabetes? Do you have any questions? kindly email me and I would respond when possible.
Wishing a Good Day to you!