DIABETES AWARENESS
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease, and if not reversed, it can cause serious health complications. Over 15 million people in Nigeria has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, making it one of the most common and fastest-growing disease in the world. Health professionals classify type 2 diabetes as a silent killer.
KNOWING THE ROOT CAUSES OF DIABETES
The root causes of diabetes are Leptin resistance, Insulin Resistance and waning insulin which unhealthy meal plan, lack of physical exercise and obesity contributes to.
Leptin Resistance - leptin is an hormone produced in the body fat cells. One of its primary roles is to regulate appetite and body weight. It tells the brain when to eat, quality to eat, and when to stop eating. It also tells the brain what to do with the energy it has. Inflammation and stress can cause leptin resistance and leptin resistance is the key risk factor for obesity. Leptin deficiency causes obesity because it makes people eat more than what their body requires.
Insulin Resistance - Insulin is an hormone produced in the pancreas which helps glucose to enter into the body cells. It is like a key that unlocks the door of cells in the body for glucose to enter into the cells. Glucose is an important energy source needed by the cells and organs for growth, activity and body processes which are mostly derived from carbohydrates.
Insulin resistant is a condition in which the cells fail to respond normally to insulin. The body produces insulin when glucose starts to be released into the bloodstream from the digestion of carbohydrates (primarily) in the diet. Under normal conditions of insulin reactivity, this insulin response helps glucose to enter into body cells. But the cells of individuals with insulin resistance are unable to use insulin effectively. This is caused by excess fat formation in the liver from consuming excess calories. The fats formed in the liver moves through the bloodstream to all part of the body. This build up of fat can stop insulin from doing its job properly.
So in type 2 diabetes, carbohydrates containing foods are broken down into glucose in the digestive system. The glucose then moves into the bloodstream. The pancreas starts to release insulin which moves with the glucose through the bloodstream to all the body cells that need glucose for energy. However, the glucose can't always get into the cells because the lock of the cell doors have become furred up with fat deposit. It means that the insulin can't open the cells door properly.
The level of glucose in the body therefore continues to rise. In response to this, the pancreas produces even more insulin. As the blood glucose level continues to rise, the insulin level continues to rise as well. This situation is further complicated by the cells which are desperate for energy, thereby sending out emergency signals to the liver to release stored glucose. The glucose level goes up and up and the pancreas produces more and more insulin until it can't cope anymore and eventually start waning out.
Waning insulin can also be caused when the excess fat in the liver is passed on to the pancreas, causing the insulin producing cells to fail.
SYMPTOMS
People with insulin resistance cells suffer high blood sugar level in the body. They have limited capacity to absorb sugar into cells, as a result the sugar remains in the bloodstream. When blood sugar exceeds a certain level, the body has to eliminate that sugar somehow. This is mostly done through the kidneys, and the body also gets rid of water along with the sugar. Patients end up losing a lot of water through frequent urination. followed by excessive thirst , increased fatigue, extreme hunger, nausea and possible vomiting, unusual weight gain or loss, Irritability, slow healing of wounds, blurred vision, Frequent infections (skin, urinary, and vaginal).
Years after, type 2 diabetes can eventually lead to serious health issues, including eye problems and blindness, heart disease, nerve damage that causes pain, tingling and numbness, kidney damage and poor blood flow to the legs and feet.
Glucose can become toxic to blood vessels, and can damage the blood vessels over time.