Lifestyle changes can keep diabetes away

Diabetes is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels. Dr SK Wangnoo, senior consultant, Apollo Centre for Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology (ACODE), tells us more about keeping the disease at bay.

Causes of diabetes

The two most common forms of diabetes are due to either a diminished production of insulin or diminished response by the body to insulin. Both lead to hyperglycemia, which largely causes diabetes.

Syptoms to look out for

• Excessive urine general feeling of weakness
• Increased fluid intake
• Blurred vision 
• Unexplained weight loss 
• Lethargy 

Finding a cure

One has to take lifelong treatment for diabetes. It is treatable but there is no widely available cure. Type 1 diabetes can only be treated with injected insulin, with dietary and  lifestyle adjustments. Type 2 is usually managed with a combination of dietary treatment, tablets and insulin supplementation. 

Avoiding complications

If not treated properly, diabetes can affect any part of the human body with disastrous consequences. The eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, blood vessels and brain are all at risk if diabetes is not controlled properly. Adequate treatment of diabetes, as well as increased emphasis on blood pressure control and lifestyle factors may improve the risk profile.

Prevention of Diabetes

• Healthy lifestyle
• Proper diet
• Exercise
• Maintenance of weight
• Cutting down on alcohol
• Cessation of smoking
• Wearing diabetic socks
• Diabetes is a chronic disease, without a cure, and medical emphasis must necessarily be on managing.

 Screening of Diabetes

With increasing prevalence of diabetes especially in Indians, diabetes screening is recommended for many people at various stages of life, and for those with any of several risk factors.

Many healthcare providers recommend universal screening for adults at age 40 or 50, and often periodically thereafter. Earlier screening is typically recommended for those with risk factors such as obesity, family history of diabetes, high-risk ethnicity.