A health expert for “Okaz”: Confronting “diabetes” depends on the real participation of society
The world celebrates November 14, World Diabetes Day, with the aim of educating community members about the dangers of diabetes, its complications, and how to prevent it.
He told Okaz, the health expert, professor and consultant of family and community medicine and public health, Professor Tawfiq Ahmed Khoja, that the most important diseases that afflict members of societies due to wrong health and nutritional behaviors is type 2 diabetes, as the rates of people with diabetes increased around the world at tragic rates, and in the absence of The individual''s awareness of the risks of diabetes, the progression of the disease will be continuous.
He added that 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 is weight gain and lack of sports activity, and it is called Also the name of 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, so it is no longer able to affect it and therefore The introduction of glucose from her blood, and this leads to the accumulation of glucose in the blood and its high levels.
He added that there are many chronic diseases resulting from the effects of diabetes on the various body systems, and these occur so slowly that the patient does not notice them, so diabetes is called the thief, including: heart disease, kidney disease, kidney failure, eye diseases and retinal damage, diabetic neuropathy. and diabetic foot.
The most prominent complications of diabetes are what is known as diabetic feet, which is the appearance of some pathological symptoms and signs in the feet of a person with diabetes, such as swelling, wounds and ulcers, as a result of neuropathy, lack of blood circulation, bacterial infections, and others, and diabetic foot is a major problem as a result of the lack of awareness of the diabetic patient. Half of diabetics do not know that they have diabetic foot, which they use continuously, which exposes it to repeated injury, and nerve damage leads to a lack of feeling in the foot, as well as not feeling pain when injured.
However, "the role of the individual is great in preventing disease, as the health sectors have taken upon themselves the preparation of preventive programs against chronic diseases, especially diabetes, with the aim of changing the behavioral pattern and educating people to change their ways of living through proper nutrition, sports, smoking cessation, periodic detection of blood pressure diseases and diabetes." And increase cholesterol, but any attempts to correct the situation to control diabetes will not be successful without real participation from the community.”
Professor Khoja concluded by saying that there are 7 important tips to avoid exposure to diabetes, which are:
Avoid anxiety and depression. People who suffer from depression often eat large quantities and do not exercise, and thus gain weight, so they are at risk of developing diabetes.
Eating breakfast, as researchers have proven that people who eat a balanced breakfast are less likely to gain weight as well as problems with insulin resistance (the hormone responsible for controlling the level of sugar in the blood), while those who do not eat breakfast expose themselves to diabetes.
Walking, exercise protects the body from diabetes, by transferring blood sugar to muscle cells to be used as fuel and burning, and sports make the body regulate the level of insulin in the blood, 30 minutes a day of brisk walking reduces the risk of diabetes according to studies by 43 %.
Limit sugary drinks and sweets. Drink more water and fresh juices than soft drinks, preserved fruit juice, sweetened coffee, sugary drinks and candy.
Limit fatty foods. Fast food, hamburgers, butter and hydrogenated oils are all full of saturated fats, and these fats can cause clogged arteries, blood pressure, increase insulin resistance and lead to diabetes.
Reducing weight. Excess weight is a major cause of type 2 diabetes in adults and children. To lose excess weight, you must exercise at least 3 times a week, or walk daily for half an hour, with a diet or diet.
Eat fruits and vegetables, as studies have shown that eating fresh fruits and vegetables regenerates cells and helps digestion.
