Do you know what is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or alternatively, when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030.

Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations.

Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterized by a lack of insulin production.

Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity.

Gestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia that is first recognized during pregnancy.

At present, type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. The environmental triggers that are thought to generate the process that results in the destruction of the body’s insulin-producing cells are still under investigation. Type 2 diabetes, however, can be prevented in many cases by maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active.

There are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes. They include:

*Obesity and overweight
*Lack of exercise
*Previously identified glucose intolerance
*Unhealthy diet
*Increased age
*High blood pressure and high cholesterol
*A family history of diabetes
*A history of gestational diabetes
*Ethnicity - higher rates of diabetes have been reported in Asians, Hispanics, Indigenous peoples (USA, Canada, Australia) and African Americans.

The warning signs of diabetes include:

*Frequent urination
*Excessive thirst
*Increased hunger
*Weight loss
*Tiredness
*Lack of interest and concentration
*Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)
*A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
*Blurred vision
*Frequent infections
*Slow-healing wounds

Studies have shown that many complications of diabetes can be prevented or delayed through effective management. This includes lifestyle measures such as a healthy diet, physical activity, the avoidance of overweight and obsesity, and not smoking. Preventative care need not involve costly treatment or medication. Education in good foot care as well as regular inspection is a good example of a low cost method of prevention. Personal health care is important for everybody for better living.

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