DIABETES – A GROWING PROBLEM

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) have in a global report given estimate of 347 million people as living with diabetes, with 19.8 million from Africa.
According to IDF 2013 report, Nigeria has the highest number of people with diabetes in Africa, with 3.9 million cases and 4.9 per cent national prevalence rate.
The reports show that more than 80 per cent of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries and that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death by 2030.
WHAT IS DIABETES?
Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).
This is what happens.
Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is classed as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood – it is the principal source of fuel for our bodies.
When our food is digested, the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream. Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth. However, glucose cannot enter our cells without insulin being present – insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in the glucose.
Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. After eating, the pancreas automatically releases an adequate quantity of insulin to move the glucose present in our blood into the cells, as soon as glucose enters the cells blood-glucose levels drop.
A person with diabetes has a condition in which the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated . This is because the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces. This results in too much glucose building up in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy requirements. and growth
TYPES
Type 1 Diabetes
The body does not produce insulin. Some people may refer to this type as insulin-dependent diabetes, juvenile diabetes, or early-onset diabetes. People usually develop type 1 diabetes before their 40th year, often in early adulthood or teenage years.
Type 1 diabetes is nowhere near as common as type 2 diabetes. Approximately 10% of all diabetes cases are type 1.
Type 2 Diabetes
The body does not produce enough insulin for proper function, or the cells in the body do not react to insulin (insulin resistance).
Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type
3) Gestational Diabetes
This type affects females during pregnancy. Some women have very high levels of glucose in their blood, and their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to transport all of the glucose into their cells, resulting in progressively rising levels of glucose.
Diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made during pregnancy.
All types of diabetes are treatable.
Diabetes type 1 lasts a lifetime, there is no known cure.

Type 2 usually lasts a lifetime, however, some people have managed to get rid of their symptoms without medication, through a combination of exercise, diet and body weight control. Special diets can help sufferers of type 2 diabetes control the condition.
Patients with type 1 are treated with regular insulin injections, as well as a special diet and exercise.
Patients with Type 2 diabetes are usually treated with tablets, exercise and a special diet, but sometimes insulin injections are also required.
If diabetes is not adequately controlled the patient has a significantly higher risk of developing complications Some of the complications are:
• Eye complications – glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and some others.
• Foot complications – neuropathy, ulcers, and sometimes gangrene which may require that the foot be amputated
• Heart problems – such as ischemic heart disease, when the blood supply to the heart muscle is diminished
• Hypertension – common in people with diabetes, which can raise the risk of kidney disease, eye problems, heart attack and stroke
• Mental health – uncontrolled diabetes raises the risk of suffering from depression, anxiety and some other mental disorders
• Hearing loss – diabetes patients have a higher risk of developing hearing problems
• Neuropathy – diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage which can lead to several different problems.
• HHNS (Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome) – blood glucose levels shoot up too high, and there are no ketones present in the blood or urine. It is an emergency condition.
• Nephropathy – uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to kidney disease
• Stroke – if blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose levels are not controlled, the risk of stroke increases significantly
• Erectile dysfunction – male impotence.
• Infections – people with badly controlled diabetes are much more susceptible to infections
• Healing of wounds – cuts and lesions take much longer to heal
HERBAL TREATMENT..
There are many herbal or natural treatment to help control diabetes , however you need to consult your doctor or your Alternative health personnel before applying it.
Greenlife herbal has effective products for treating diabetes
– Dial B,
– Glutrin, etc can be combined for this treatment. Contact us for more information.
Mango Leaves
The delicate and tender mango leaves can be used to treat diabetes by regulating insulin levels in the blood. They can also help improve blood lipid profiles.
• Soak 10 to 15 tender mango leaves in a glass of water overnight. In the morning, filter the water and drink it on an empty stomach.
• You can also dry the leaves in the shade and grind them. Eat one-half teaspoon of powdered mango leaves two times daily.
Conclusion
We advised on the need to live a healthy lifestyle through eating a balanced diet, avoiding excessive alcohol intake, engaging in regular physical exercise, reducing salt intake, maintaining a healthy body weight and avoiding smoking among st others to prevent the disease.