Diabetes; which is consequent of excess sugar (glucose) in
the blood, has killed a lot of people and it is still killing people even as
you are reading this article. Though glucose is an indispensable compound
required by man for various activities; since the body derives energy from
glucose, yet excess of it is undesirable. According to World Health Organization
report released in 2012, 10% of the global population is diabetic while
according to American Diabetes Association,
25.8 million people are diabetic and in fact 215,000 people under age 20 are
diabetic in America. Since many people are fond of taking health for granted it
is important we talk about the major symptoms of diabetes so we can deal with
it appropriately. However, too low amount of glucose in the body is also
undesirable.
But how do we get sugar into our system without taking sugar
literally?
·
Glucose
in our Foods: When we eat food, a
good part of it is converted to glucose which is the energy needed by the body
for its activities. The glucose is carried in the blood stream to the
individual cells of the body where it is used as energy for various cellular
activities.
·
Insulin: Hormones are chemical substances required in
the body for the control of various activities. Insulin is an example of such
chemical substance. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and it is for the
regulation of glucose in the body. It is this insulin that helps cells to
absorb glucose and also converts excess glucose to glycogen which is stored in
the liver and muscle cells. The stored glycogen is converted into glucose for
metabolic activities whenever there is low glucose in the body. For example
during fasting or hunger.
·
Diabetes:
Diabetes results when the amount of glucose in the blood cannot be
controlled leading to excess of it (glucose) in the body. Three (3) things can
cause this:
o
Lack of Insulin.
o
Inadequate Insulin.
o
Defective Insulin that cannot be used by the
body.
·
Symptoms
of Diabetes: I will enumerate the
three (4) major symptoms of Diabetes out of the series of symptoms. These are:
o
Increased
Thirst.
o
Increased
frequency of passing urine.
o
Increased
Hunger.
o
Skin
Infection.
The first two symptoms (increased
thirst and frequent urination) are related. The kidneys filtered about 1,500
litres of blood per day. They excrete some water and waste products as urine
and absorb most of the filtered blood including glucose. If the blood has more
glucose than what the kidneys can reabsorb, it (glucose) passes out with the
urine. As the glucose passes out of the body, it takes a lot of water along
with it in order to flow easily out of the body. Increased water in the urine
increases the frequency of passing urine, which in turn results in increased
thirst to compensate for the excess loss of water from the body through
urination.
When there is no adequate insulin, the cells
in the body do not get energy. Consequently, they send ‘hunger’ message to the
brain. The brain responds to this message by giving us a feeling of excessive
hunger. Despite eating more, the glucose derived from the food cannot be used
for energy as it passes out in urine. Lack of energy in the cells results in
general weakness and tiredness. Also, in the absence of insulin, the cells
cannot derive any energy. Energy is therefore derived from the fats and
muscles, making you to lose weight even if you eat enough to satisfy your
hunger.
Excess blood sugar suppresses the
body’s natural defense mechanism. This is why cuts and wounds heal very slowly
if there is high blood sugar. Also, sugar is very good for bacteria to grow.
Thus skin infections are more common in diabetes.
Other symptoms are:
- Unexplained weight loss as explained above.
- Blurry vision that changes from day to day.
- Feeling tired and weak most of the times as explained above.
- Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.
- Dry or Itchy skin.
- Frequent or recurring skin, gum or bladder infections as explained above.
Most diabetic complications are
consequent of long duration of uncontrolled disease, it is therefore important
for the disease to be diagnosed early. This means that precious lives lost to
diabetes could have been saved if the disease was diagnosed early and
consequently controlled or managed well. It is therefore imperative for you
check critically to know if any of these symptoms of diabetes is noticeable in
you or any of your relatives. If yes, quickly call the attention of your
doctor.
References:
- Health Solutions: Diabetes, 2008.
- Your Health Guide: Speaking of Diabetes & Diet, 2010.
- World Health Organization, 2012 Report.
- American Diabetes Association
