True Aspects of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus

Millions of people are challenged by diabetes and its complications. According to 2011 statistics, 25.8 million children and adults in the United States of America are diagnosed with this condition. This is a huge number, representing 8.3% of the U.S. population.

According to International Diabetes Federation, 382 million people worldwide have diabetes as of 2013. The global population with diabetes is expected to reach 592 million by 2035.

Wow!!

The saddest statistic ever

In my opinion, the saddest statistic about diabetes is not the large number of people who have become diabetics—although this statistic is terrifying— but the numerous people who have diabetes (mostly type 2 diabetics) and are still unaware of it. This could make a person sad and frustrated. Based on data extracted from the 2011 Diabetes Fact Sheet, 7 million Americans are not aware of their condition.

It means that there are 7 million Americans, including your friends, family members and neighbors who have diabetes and are not aware of it. Their bodies are getting destroyed by diabetes quietly and slowly.

Imagine

Imagine that one corner of your house or apartment has caught fire and you are too busy or so unaware of your surroundings that you aren’t able to see, smell or feel the fire. This fire will continue to grow, until it’s taken care of, or unexpected magic happens. We know that the second possibility is not very likely. Therefore, you’re going to lose your house and life, unless you’re able to recognize and control the fire as soon as possible.

Diabetes isn’t very different than fire. You need to recognize and manage it early.

The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and adolescents and type 2 diabetes is commonly seen in adults.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for over 90 percent of cases of diabetes in the United States, Canada, and Europe versus 5-10 percent for type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is caused by destruction of the insulin producing cells leading to insulin shortage and ultimately to lack of insulin production. These patients are always insulin dependent and require regular insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetes is caused primarily by insulin resistance and relative insulin shortage.

To be able to diagnose type 2 diabetes early, you should know about pre-diabetes. The following is my recent article about this topic, “Pre-diabetes: Why Ignoring it is Foolish”.

Diabetes is a skillful killer

Yes, diabetes is a killer and one of the major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. This condition can kill any of us but only if we allow it to happen. Let me formulate the sentence differently. You have the power to stop and reverse diabetes.

In my opinion, diabetes is one of the diseases that can be managed easily, as long as we take it seriously. Are you amazed to read this statement? I can imagine how confused you are. You have probably heard a many stories about how difficult diabetic patients are and how difficult it is to manage diabetes. I have repeated the above statement hundreds of times when meeting new diabetic patients and each time I have looked at these patients’ eyes and monitored their reactions. Most of the patients stay speechless for couple of minutes because they can’t believe that I am serious.

However, I am confident in this statement and I am repeating it again: “diabetes is one of the diseases that can be managed easily”.

You can’t manage diabetes with ignorance and indifference. You need to be active, see diabetes eye to eye and take it seriously.

But the prerequisite of successful diabetes management is knowledge about the nature of diabetes and its characteristics.

If you end up in a dark tunnel, alone and without any familiarity of your surroundings, you will feel lost and afraid. But if you know the tunnel well, and have some insights about the location and the length of the tunnel and its resources then things will look very different.

Do you agree?

You probably prefer to be in a situation that gives you more control rather than makes you feel insecure and overwhelmed.

But how can you get the appropriate knowledge about diabetes?

I am aware that with the development and widening reach of the internet, obtaining information has become much easier. However, the reliability of the information that has been obtained has also been compromised. We receive information and news through radio, television, newspapers and thousands of different websites. They all have at least one section that is dedicated to health. They are ready to jump on any medical and health news the second that it is produced. Many people may think that this is a great development, but I am not so sure about it.

In my experience, this high volume of medical information has resulted in considerable confusion. It is very difficult to know what information is reliable and what is not. The results of a small, poorly designed study could end up being reported by major news organizations and appear in social media in minutes. One day fish oil is good and the next day fish oil is bad. One day sweet potatoes can help with diabetes and the next day it can be the worst enemy. The concern is that too much confusing information could result in people losing trust in the information and consequently in their own health.

Dedicated to delivering reliable information

The American Diabetic Association, American College of Physicians and our own TheMedCircle are among existing entities which are dedicated to delivering well-evaluated and reliable information about diabetes to their readers. Another highly qualified source for obtaining reliable information is your doctor. Your physician can provide you with a useful summary of research information tailored to your specific case, no question that this combination is superior to any other information gathering method.

Diabetes (type 2) can be halted and reversed

Yes, you can stop and also reverse the most common form of diabetes (type 2 diabetes) and possibly its complications. This is very good news to millions of people. Well-controlled type 2 diabetes may require only a few medications. The number of these medications can be reduced over time with a well-managed plan and collaboration between you and your doctor.

Forget about the past and look into the future!

You have the ability to start a new NOW. Try to forget the previous negative experiences about diabetes and believe in yourself and your doctor. Don’t underestimate diabetes but also don’t get intimidated by it.

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I am here to help you by providing the best knowledge about diabetes and the best ways to fight it. Join me in this fight. Make sure to SHARE this article, if you liked it!

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