The perils of being too sweet

Uncontrolled and undiagnosed cases of diabetes can result in many complications. In some cases, it can lead to organ failure if not treated in time

Dr Manoj Khandelwal

There are more than 3.5 crore cases of undiagnosed diabetes in India. Diabetes has affected millions of people in the world and the number is growing exponentially. As per the data released by the WHO in 2015, around 69.2 million people have diabetes in India. Within four years, the number has touched 73 million and is expected to increase.

Various reasons responsible for diabetes include genetics, poor diet, hormonal changes but it’s more of a lifestyle disease. Most of the time, it goes undetected, especially in rural areas. Based on a study conducted by ICMR-INDIAB, the prevalence of diabetes is double in urban areas (11.2) than rural (5.2).

Urban Vs Rural

As above mentioned that people living in urban areas are more prone to the disease than the people in rural areas. But the facilities are much better in the cities; diabetics can easily get treatment. People get better healthcare facilities and with the right diagnose, the person can start making changes in the daily routine to control the blood sugar levels among other things.

The ratio of having diabetes is less in rural areas. The problem is that rural peopel don’t get the primary healthcare facilities and diabetes doesn’t get diagnosed in time.

The government has a major role to play in this regard. it should invest in improving the condition of rural hospitals and also ensures the equipment of staff and medicines.

In urban areas more people are aware of the disease due to proper infrastructure and medical facilities. Though sometimes it can go undetected.

Raising awareness levels

Apart from improving the overall structure in the rural areas, there should be some awareness campaigns to tackle it. These programmes should cover all essential points involving the risk factors, various causes and the complications. Various initiatives should be taken by the government to combat the disease. These initiatives include improve accessibility of healthy foods to the masses, availability of medicines at low rates.

Creating awareness through newspapers, radio channels would help significantly in spreading the news. Organising and executing camps from time to time in rural areas would promote awareness directly. Conducting blood tests to check the sugar level should be incorporated in the primary care. The doctors should recommend patients to take HbA1c tests to identify pre-diabetic patients. Moreover, doctors can guide them on how to make changes in their lifestyle to live with the disease.

Risks of uncontrolled cases

Uncontrolled diabetes means having high sugar levels besides the treatment, resulting in many complications. In some cases, it can lead to organ failure, if it is not treated in time. Symptoms include extreme thirst, frequent urination, infections, kidney problems, weight loss, vision loss, numbness or tingling sensation in the hands or feet. High sugar levels in the blood can lead to many complications. It also increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, it’s better to recognise these symptoms as early as possible to avoid negative impacts.

What to do?

With certain lifestyle changes, a person can live a healthy life. People who are already diagnosed with type-2 diabetes should check their blood sugar level at least every four weeks along with taking care of the diet. A combination of healthy diet and exercise would prove fruitful. The diet should include more nuts, fruits and veggies along with exercise. Physical activity can make a lot of difference, that’s why 30 min – 1 hours is recommended.

According to the Harvard Health Publishing, exercise can lower 0.7 % in people who were taking the medications and following the diet. The study also revealed that people who walked for two hours a week would be not at risk of dying due to heart disease as compared to the people living a sedentary lifestyle. That is why exercise and a healthy diet along with medications can help people suffering from this disease.

— The writer is associate consultant, diabetes and endocrinology, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur