PHOTOS: Kameya Chinsamy
IN commemoration of national diabetes awareness month, the Brackenham senior citizens were visited by the Zululand Diabetes Centre on Wednesday morning.
An exciting programme of fun games, health talks and sugar testing was done on the day.
Diabetes (or sugar sickness) is a condition of the body in which sugar is not used correctly to provide energy for living and growing.
There is an increasing awareness of the symptoms of diabetes as well as the risks if it goes undiagnosed and unmanaged.
Diabetes develops when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin. Without insulin the body cannot extract the necessary energy it needs from food.
There are two major types of diabetes: Type I, commonly called juvenile diabetes, and Type II, commonly called adult on-set diabetes. Both have similar symptoms, but very different causes.
Type I diabetes, usually diagnosed in childhood, is a disease whereby the body’s own immune system attacks and kills the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin, leaving a person’s body without insulin and unable to regulate its blood sugar levels. Treatment usually consists of taking insulin injections together with a special diet and controlled amounts of exercise.
Type II diabetes is a disease that results when the body’s cells become resistant to insulin. In Type II diabetes, unlike in Type I, insulin is still produced by the body, but not used correctly. Keep your family healthy and aware by having a blood glucose test once a year. A simple finger-prick test at your local pharmacy can determine whether you may or may not have diabetes. The test takes only a minute, but can save you and your family from complications that may arise if you have untreated diabetes.
Early diagnosis of diabetes is extremely important if it is to be managed correctly.
If you are experiencing any symptoms such as unusual thirst, frequent urination, unusual weight loss, extreme fatigue or lack of energy, blurred vision, frequent or recurring infections, cuts and bruises that heal slowly, itching skin and tingling and numbness in the hands or feet, it is important to chat to your healthcare practitioner to arrange for a full blood test.
