Diabetes: What to know and how to avoid it
There are ways to avoid getting diabetes, but if you are unlucky enough to develop it, it can be managed, which is important to note for people whose lives are impacted daily by it.
World Diabetes Day, annually on November 14, is celebrated by people learning, and familiarising themselves with diabetes, the variations this disease comes in, and how to manage it successfully towards leading a long and healthy life.
Celebrations at the East Bank Clinic in Alexandra this year presented guests with an opportunity to empower themselves with knowledge of the disease.
Read more: Alexandra gains diabetes awareness this World Diabetes Day
As part of the event, City of Johannesburg (CoJ) health promotion operational manager Velisha Thompson was in attendance, sharing information that could be lifesaving.
“Treatment adherence is extremely important in diabetes management. If you don’t manage your diabetes, you’re going to add onto your treatment, and then you’ll have to go onto insulin – which is the injections. Nobody wants to go onto that, so, let’s try to avoid that by adhering to your treatment,” Thompson cautioned. “If your medication is finished, please come back to the clinic. Do not share medication. Diabetic medication is given according to weight, height, and body mass index (BMI). If you are on treatment, then you’re given specific treatment for your condition. Make sure to take your treatment as prescribed.”
Thompson also explained what diabetes is, and how the disease develops in people.
Also read: What are the signs of type 1 diabetes in children?
“The pancreas controls your insulin. So, if you don’t take your treatment, as well as eat unhealthy foods, you’re putting your body under strain,” she said. “Your pancreas has got to work harder to break down the glucose in your blood, so, no, medication doesn’t mean diabetics can eat whatever they want to, and have that fried, fatty, fish, whatever. No. You need to also be strict with your diet, as well as your exercise. The treatment, diet, and exercise all work in combination.”
Types of Diabetes
• Type 1 Diabetes: If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas does not make insulin or makes very little insulin. Type 1 diabetes can affect people at any age, but commonly develops in children and young adults. People living with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin injections to control their blood glucose levels. If they do not have access to insulin, they could slip into a diabetic coma and possibly die.
• Type 2 Diabetes: The primary indicator of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, when the body cannot fully respond to insulin, with symptoms like increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and tingling in the feet. In many cases, the condition can be delayed or prevented by a change of diet or exercise. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for around 90% of all diabetic cases.
• Gestational Diabetes: Is diabetes that’s diagnosed during pregnancy and usually goes away after the baby is born, however, it can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes developing later in life. It can lead to pregnancy-related complications, including high blood pressure, large birth weight babies, and obstructed labour.
How do you take care of yourself at home?
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Exercise moderately for at least 150 minutes per week.
• Don’t smoke.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Get at least eight hours of sleep a night.
• If you are on treatment, make sure to take it as prescribed.
How to get tested for diabetes in Alexandra?
• It’s done at clinics or outreaches. Go and test for your sugar: it’s a single finger-prick and not more than a drop of blood, and you’ll get your results in 10 seconds.
Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.
Related article: Sleep deprivation linked to diabetes in children
