Diabetes can be checked with regular exercise, screening, says Isolo GH MD

The Medical Director of Isolo General Hospital, Dr. Akhaboa Godwin, has stressed the need for regular exercise and medical checkup to prevent and reduce the effect of diabetes.

He said this at the free screening organized by the hospital Nutrition and Dietetic department in partnership with Sun Pharma Ranbaxy Nigeria to mark World Diabetes Day (WDD) at the Isolo General Hospital, Isolo, Lagos.

The doctor who spoke with The Guardian said, “Hypertension and diabetes are partners in crime so, combination of those is dangerous. If you are diabetes, virtually every organ is affected. We call diabetes and hypertension a silent killer because you wouldn’t know it is on going until it is too late, that is the reason we advised people to always go for checkup because it is preventive mechanism; It is cheaper, simpler and more effective than to come for treatment; coming for check has so many benefit, you would be able to get advice on how to live healthy, the best food to eat…. It is known now that if you don’t eat your food as medicine properly, later you will need to take medicine as your food.”

Allaying the fear of patients, he said “Diabetes is not a death sentence, just that it will take a drain on you; psychologically, physically and socially. If well controlled, you can live a normal life, by way of social behavior, nutritional, taking the right medication, and adhering to the advice of practitioners. You don’t have to be apprehensive if you do the right thing. This is where obedience is better that sacrifice.”

Talking about the psychological aspect, he said: “We made a duty to sensitize the people on what to do and what not to. For the social aspect; exercise helps in the management of diabetes. We know that losing weight helps in the management of diabetes and hypertension so, these are social aspect of it that they must know among other things they can do.

“We foster healthy relationship between people who have this same condition. Share problems, share success; and, at the end of the day, they are better off. So, the social aspect of it is very key.

“Also, today’s program is to draw the community’s attention; to raise awareness.
Going by what Lagos State stands for, no one should be left behind. That is what the governor wants, and that is what we will practice. Any practice that does not include prevention is not complete.

“Weight loss. Exercise and nutritional management will do it. You don’t need to take drugs. We recommend drugs for reducing cholesterol, not necessarily for losing weight. But exercise and eating the right way are the preventive means we want people to use.

“Another thing is early detection. We want people to come for check ups early. If you detect early, before any organ is destroyed or affected, you are able to control it, you can live a normal life, but if you diagnose it late, after the organs have been affected, there is nothing anybody can do. So, that is the way we are going about it.”

Head, Nutrition department of Isolo Gneneral Hospital, Odugbade Funmilola, said “We noticed that many people complain about what type of food to eat, time to eat and amount needed when they are diabetic so, we thought the best way to communicate and sensitized the people was to organize free screening and sensitization to commemorate the day. It is important that diabetes patient eat a lot of food that contains fibre and also know alternative drink, aside of that, we also want to sensitize newly diagnosed patients and those that have been diagnosed before now on how to continue with their treatment, live healthy and how to manage it.

“Diabetes can be managed and can also be prevented; one of the best ways to manage it is to create a diet plan, you must know the timing of your eating and there must be snacks. We have diabetes patients that live up to 90 so; it’s not a death sentence.”

Speaking on the symptom, she said: “Though, the symptom of diabetes ranges but the most common one is polyurial (urinating more often, usually the result of drinking excessive amounts of fluids (polydipsia), particularly water and fluids that contain caffeine or alcohol. It is also one of the major signs of diabetes mellitus. When the kidneys filter blood to make urine, they reabsorb all of the sugar, returning it to the bloodstream), when you eat but go thinner, and frequent headache are the common sign or warning sign of diabetes.”

On her part, Area Sales Manager, promotional team of Sun Pharma, Adaobi Ugha, said: “We are seizing this opportunity to help people know their status which is very important. A lot of Nigerians live with diabetes and they are not even aware of it until developed malarial and other sickness but upon diagnosis they find out accidentally.”