Diabetes manifests as a long-term health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into a simple sugar, that can be assimilated by the cells, known as glucose and releases it into your bloodstream.

When your blood sugar concentration increases, it signals your pancreas to release an essential hormone known as insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy. The inability of the body to make enough or use enough insulin is regarded as diabetes. Gradually, these sugar molecules aggregate in the circulatory system leading to heart disease or kidney disease.

There is an increasing need for diabetes education as local studies have reported that over 11.2 million Nigerians suffer from the malady.

Diabetes occurs in three forms: Type 1 diabetes results from a shortfall in insulin secretion and is commonly referred to as juvenile diabetes because it is predominant in children and young adults, however, can manifest in any age grade. Herein the need for insulin supplements and jabs. Type 2 diabetes results from the inability of the body to utilize insulin properly.

While some people can control their blood glucose (blood sugar) levels with healthy eating and exercise, others may need medication or insulin to manage it. This is the more prevalent type.

Type 1 and Type 2 are known as diabetes mellitus. Type 3 is known as gestational diabetes which has been traced to hormonal feedbacks during pregnancy. When a hormone made by the placenta prevents the mother’s body from using insulin effectively. It is not caused by a lack of insulin but by other hormones produced during pregnancy which suppress the insulin levels in the blood of the mother. Gestational diabetic symptoms disappear following the delivery of the baby.

The World Health Organization reports that diabetes symptoms may vary from mild to vivid, yet a greater percentage of cases are not formally diagnosed nor followed up with adequate treatment. The disease is increasingly a cause of blindness worldwide. Diabetes can be diagnosed after a few blood tests by a medical scientist. Saddening to state that there is no known cure for diabetes.

However with proactive body management following early detection, one can beat the odds. Prompt medication, intermittent tests, improved diet and significant lifestyle changes are essential for this cause. Diabetes is on the rise in Nigeria due to an increase in urbanization. The purchasing power of the middle class is on the rise, people are less keen to take up job or tasks that require intense physical strength and there is a rise in sugar food and canned produce consumption.

Concisely, we eat more sugar for the body to manage and are not committing efforts to assist the body in metabolizing the colossal amounts released in the blood. For most Nigerians exercise is an occasional recreation not an essential task for effective health management. We are now faced with vivid reasons to look after our well-being physically as we do so financially.
There exists another medical condition known as diabetes insipidus. It is linked to issues with the hormone vasopressin, which the kidneys use to balance the quantity of fluid in the body. Problems with a part of the hypothalamus, a portion of the brain which controls thirst can also cause diabetes insipidus. This leads to an increase in thirst, urination and appetite.

Although diabetes miletus and diabetes insipidus share common symptoms such as thirst and inordinate urination, they are unrelated because the former is a condition associated with high blood sugar while the latter is body fluid biomechanisms. For both men and women, fat deposits are normally distributed in the same areas. However, one can see that women have made some significant advancements in several areas.

Proactive steps
Get proper diagnosis and medical advice
Maintain a right and disciplined frame of mind
Hold onto a healthy eating plan
Regular tests and keeping records of results
Be observant of body changes, especially on the eyes, skin and feet
Ensure to have an alarm or a time system reminder for insulin medication
Join a diabetes support group for ideas and motivation.
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