Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar) or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
In 2014, 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes. In 2012 diabetes was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths and high blood glucose was the cause of another 2.2 million deaths, according to statistics provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is when the body doesn’t make enough insulin while Type 2 is when the body makes insulin but can’t use it well. It is managed by the daily intake of insulin injections and control of blood sugar.
Type 1 is most frequently diagnosed in children and adolescents and it’s not preventable. Its symptoms include excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes and fatigue.
The Type 2 is preventable and is mostly caused by a combination of family history and factors like unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity. Its symptoms may be similar to those of Type 1 but are often diagnosed without symptoms.
The common consequences of diabetes are increased risk of heart attacks and strokes; foot ulcers, infection and the eventual need for limb amputation; blindness; and kidney failure.
As Face2Face Africa marks World Diabetes Day, here are some measures to take to help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications:
