enough to confront “Diabetes 2”
“Diabetes 2” is one of the diseases that has become the biggest challenge in all societies, including our Saudi society, as Saudi Arabia is considered one of the first Arab countries in terms of cases of the disease, and the reasons for this are due to an unhealthy lifestyle, including food and low rates of movement and physical activity . Doctors saw that all health sectors are making great efforts in raising awareness of diabetes and its complications and how to prevent it, but in the other direction, diabetes records are still recording new cases, stressing the importance and role of the individual in adhering to advice and avoiding risk factors, as one hand does not clap. The question remains: Where does the defect lie, is it in the awareness-raising methods or in the members of society not taking it seriously?
Obesity is the main cause
At first, the professor and consultant of endocrinology and diabetes at the Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Professor Abdul Moeen Al-Agha, said that “Type Two” diabetes was not known in previous decades except in adults and the elderly, but now with the spread of obesity, this type has begun to be monitored in young people. Adolescents and young adults, due to dietary habits and quality of food, including eating large quantities of high-calorie foods instead of healthy, eating while watching TV, canceling the daily breakfast habit due to lack of time, and eating irregularly in quantity and quality, i.e. replacing the three meals with many separate meals that lack For nutritious ingredients as they contain fats and sugars. Al-Agha said: Awareness of diabetes is present throughout the year, but all that concerns us is the cooperation of community members in adhering to the preventive advice and guidelines that ensure that they do not gain weight and become obese, as everyone must know that diabetes is one of the diseases that preoccupied health economics not at the level Not only locally but also at the global level, especially with its many complications that include most of the body’s organs. The factors that lead to acquired type 2 diabetes are known, namely: obesity, and lack of exercise. Therefore, society’s awareness of the seriousness of the disease and its complications protects individuals from diabetes. Professor Al-Agha advised adults and children to change the lifestyle and exercise at a rate of one hour per day (3-5 days per week), avoiding or limiting fast food and soft drinks, emphasizing the importance of drinking milk, water and fresh juices, and rationing sitting time in front of the computer, electronic games and means of communication. And reduce the intake of unhealthy meals.
Eating and lack of exercise
As for the professor and consultant of family and community medicine, Professor Tawfiq bin Ahmed Khoja, that diabetes (type II) is a disease with a wide spread at the level of countries in the world, especially countries that have gone through a civilizational leap such as the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, indicating that diabetes is a chronic disease that results in complications. In large and high proportions, it burdens health services, and it is a disease closely related to its risk factors, namely obesity, lack of physical activity, and an increase in calories consumed by the individual.
Regarding the difference between type 2 and type 1 diabetes, Prof. Khoja went on to say
Type 2 diabetes is one of the types of diabetes that leads to a high level of glucose in the blood, and it occurs as a result of resistance in the cells of the body to the hormone insulin, or insufficient amount of insulin produced in the pancreas, as a result of several factors, the most important of which - as I mentioned - including weight gain and lack of physical activity , It is also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes and adult diabetes, and in this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces a normal amount of insulin and perhaps also more than usual, but it is not enough for the body, or there is resistance by cells to insulin and it is no longer able to affect In it, and thus the introduction of glucose from the blood, and this leads to the accumulation of glucose in the blood and its high levels. This type differs from type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas stops producing insulin, as a result of the body’s immune system destroying the hormone-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Larger but not enough for glucose metabolism in the body. Prof. Khoja called on all members of society to pay attention to healthy eating and exercise, as it is to avoid obesity, which is a possible factor in developing type 2 diabetes, and to drink fresh juices and water and limit caffeinated drinks.
Children are more affected
The pediatric consultant, Dr. Nasr El-Din El-Sharif, considered that children’s acquired type 2 diabetes at an early age is an unhealthy and dangerous indicator, as this type previously affected the elderly, specifically after the mid-forties, but now unfortunately we have begun to notice a steadily increasing rates of infection among young people in Age, youth and even children, which is attributed to the increasing rates of obesity in society. Dr. Al-Sharif pointed out that there are a number of factors that lead to type 2 diabetes, namely: being overweight and obese, lack of physical activity and inactivity, if the person’s fat accumulates in his stomach (i.e. he has a clear rumen), this makes him more vulnerable to infection. Type 2 diabetes, compared to people who have fat distribution on the thighs and hips, and heredity, as the risk of disease increases if one or both parents or siblings have type 2 diabetes. He pointed out that fast food contains a large proportion of fat and calories, and gradually paves the way for weight gain, and thus obesity, which may expose people to the risks of various complications, as the greater the consumption of fast food, the less likely it is to obtain the essential nutrients on which it depends. The body, which may harm health, as fast food can have a number of negative effects, including the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes. Dr. Al-Sharif stressed the need to limit the intake of fast and fatty foods, and the complete conviction that a lot of them is very harmful and causes many negative effects on the body, stressing the importance of eating fruits, vegetables and fresh juices and drinking water to give the body enough to enhance the work of the digestive system and body cells, taking care to Playing sports.
The retina gets tired
On his part, Dr. Yasser Attia Al Mazrouei, consultant ophthalmologist, takes a side about the effects of diabetes on the eye and says: Uncontrolled diabetes, whether type II or type 1, leads to a range of complications that can be reduced by controlling blood sugar levels through diet, exercise and control. on weight and follow the treatment. And he indicated that one of the complications is diabetic retinopathy, which is one of the eye complications caused by diabetes, as the retina is very sensitive as a result of fluctuations in sugar levels, and diabetic retinopathy is caused by a deterioration in the structure of the retinal blood vessels, and these ailed blood vessels may expand, which It causes fluid to leak and even block, leaving part of the retina without blood circulation. As the disease progresses, new blood vessels form and fibrous tissue proliferates in the retina, resulting in deterioration of vision. He explained that many individuals who suffer from diabetic retinopathy in its early stages do not complain of noticeable symptoms, and retinopathy in these cases does not stop developing until it leads to complications gradually, and for this reason, diabetic patients are advised to have periodic examination until prompt intervention is made for the cases that complain. of diabetic retinopathy. Regarding the treatment, Al Mazrouei concluded by saying that the diagnosis determines the nature of the therapeutic interventions that may require the use of laser sessions, but what we are also concerned with is the preventive aspect in controlling and controlling sugar, maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels, avoiding smoking because it increases the risk of diabetes complications Multiple conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, refer to a doctor immediately if blurred, scattered or blurry vision occurs.
The kidneys are also affected
Regarding the effect of diabetes on the kidneys, Dr. Reda Matbouli, a consultant urologist and kidney transplant consultant, says that when blood sugar rises in people with diabetes, the blood vessels (inside the nephron) and nerves are affected over time, in addition to the fact that the filtering of large amounts of glucose is a burden on the kidneys. After several years, the useful protein begins to be excreted in the urine, and in later cases it can reach strong complications. He pointed out that when diabetes is not well controlled, the blood sugar level rises, causing damage to many parts of the body, especially the kidneys, heart, blood vessels, eyes, feet and nerves. He stressed the importance of maintaining the normal blood sugar level, through diet and regular medications for diabetic patients, as well as good follow-up and periodic examination of kidney functions and urine albumin rates, as they play an important role in reducing the risk of the disease, as the appearance of albumin in urine is the first sign of kidney affected by disease. Diabetes, and often without any symptoms that the patient feels, and it precedes the stages of affected kidney blood functions, therefore, early diagnosis of this problem is important, as studies have proven that starting to regulate sugar rates and use some medications, which have been proven to reduce the impact of diabetes. Diabetic kidneys protect the kidneys by regulating albuminuria and blood pressure. Dr. Matbouli concluded by saying that high blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys. When the blood vessels are damaged, they do not work well, and many diabetics also develop high blood pressure, which can also cause damage to the kidneys. Kidneys. Diabetics who smoke and do not follow the treatment plan to control diabetes, eat foods rich in salt, and do not engage in any physical activity, are more prone to kidney problems.
