World Health Day 2016 - Beat Diabetes
This year World Health Day, April 7th 2016, is dedicated to raising awareness and informing the public about Diabetes in the World Health Organization's (WHO) campaign titled, "Beat Diabetes."
What is Diabetes?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines Diabetes as "the condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, and organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesnt make enough insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood. This is why many people refer to diabetes as "sugar." Diabetes can cause serious health complications... [it] is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States."
~ Excerpt from https://www.cdc.gov/media/presskits/aahd/diabetes.pdf
According to Mayo Clinc, "if you have diabetes, no matter what time, it means you have too much glucose in your blood... Chronic diabetes conditions include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Potentially reversible diabetes conditions include prediabetes - when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes - and gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy but may resolve after the baby is delivered."
~ Excerpt from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/basics/definition/con-20033091
Symptoms:
Diabetes symptoms can vary depending on how elevated your blood sugar levels are. Some signs or type 1 and type 2 diabetes are as follows:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urinations
- Extreme hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Blurred vision
- Slow healing sores
- Frequent infectons
...and so on.
Diabetes can develop at any age, type 1 typically appears during childhood and adolescence, whie type 2 (the more common type) can develop at any age though it is more common in people over the age of 40.
Visiting your doctor:
Make an appointment with your doctor if you suspect that you, or someone you know, may have diabetes or are exhibiting symptoms of the ailment. It is only through the care and management of a qualified medical professional that Diabetes can be confirmed. Here are some tips for when you go to see your doctor:
- Pre-appointment restrictions: Ask if you need to to anything in preparation for the appointment, for example, do you need to fast from all food and drink?
- Write down any symptoms that you are experiencing, including those taht seem unrelated.
- Write down personal information: Do you have any major stresses in your life? Have you had any major life changes? Have you been monitoring your glucose levels?
- Bring a list of all alllergies you have AND all medications, vitamins, and supplements that you are taking.
- Record your family history: Make a special note of any family members who have had diabetes, heart problems, or strokes.
- Write down questions you have for your doctor: Sometimes it is difficult to remember all our concerns in the moment, this will ensure that you get your questions answered.
- Be aware of any prescriptions that need refilling.
Some website where additional, reliabel information about Diabetes are:
- The Mayo Clinic explains symptoms, risks, management and much more regarding Diabetes here:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/basics/definition/con-20033091
- For more information on WHO's efforts and activities in raising Diabetes Awareness and World Health Day 2016:
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2016/en/
Some highlights at the site are:
- a fact sheet on Diabetes: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/
- a quiz about Diabetes: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2016/quiz/en/
- WHO's work on Diabetes: https://www.who.int/diabetes/en/
- For an information PDF from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://www.cdc.gov/media/presskits/aahd/diabetes.pdf
PLEASE NOTE: This blurb simply touches the surface on the information out there in honour of the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Day 2016 - Beat Diabetes. This is in no way expected to be an exhaustive resource of information, rather is it one place where you may find items to pique your interest. The SurgiMed Clinic has tried to provide you with authoritative and reliable resources that merely scratch the surface of this topic. This in no way replaces a diagonis by a qualified medical practitioner.