Meducation Part II ,December issue addresses key concerns and basic information pertaining to Diabetes.

1. Diabetes Mellitus

2. What Is Diabetes Mellitus?
 Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (sugar) for our bodies to
use for energy. The pancreas, an organ near the stomach, makes a
hormone called insulin to help glucose get into our body cells. When
you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or
can’t use its own insulin very well. This problem causes glucose to build
up in your blood(HYPERGLYCEMIA in medical terms).
 Diabetes means that a person’s blood sugar is too high. Your blood
always has some sugar in it because the body needs sugar for energy
to keep you going. But too much sugar in the blood can cause serious
damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart.

3. TYPES OF DIABETES
Broadly there are three main types of diabetes:
 Diabetes Type 1 - You produce no insulin at
all.
 Diabetes Type 2 - You don't produce enough
insulin, or your insulin is not working properly.
 Gestational Diabetes - You develop diabetes
just during your pregnancy.

4. How do I even suspect I have it?
You may recall having some of
these signs before you found out
you had diabetes:
 Being very thirsty.
 Urinating a lot—often at night.
 Having blurry vision from time to
time.
 Feeling very tired much of the
time.
 Losing weight without trying.
 Having very dry skin.
 Having sores that are slow to
heal.
 Getting more infections than
usual.
 Losing feeling or getting a
tingling feeling in the feet.
 Vomiting.

5. How can I be sure ?
Urine Sugar test Random blood sugar test
Both these can also be done at home to monitor the patient’s progress

6. Its always advisable to see your doctor
at the earliest
Oral Glucose Tolerance Speak to your doctor
test without any hesitation

7. ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE
SUFFERING FROM
DIABETES????
NO !!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING
PRIVILEDGED COMPANY:
Elizabeth Taylor - Actress
Jim Turner - Actor
"Smokin' Joe" Frazier - Boxer
King Fahd - King of Saudi Arabia

8. Crap! The doc told me I have
Diabetes..my life is finished!
 The story is far from
over my friend
 Millions of diabetics
are well controlled with
drugs,insulin,exercise,
Yoga and lead a
healthy joyful life
 They go to work,see
their kids grow up and
do what everybody
else does normally!

10. Alright it’s all good! So how do I
manage my life now?
First and foremost, you must take responsibility
for your own day-to-day care and not anyone else.
How??!
 Healthy eating
 Physical activity / exercise / Yoga / Aerobics
 Regular blood glucose testing and maintaining a diary
 Take your pills as prescribed
 Follow your diet religiously
 Follow up with your doctor as instructed on a regular
basis

11. Home based care
 Monitoring your own
glucose is done with a
Glucose Meter. Self-
monitoring is often called
SMBG (self-monitoring of
blood glucose). Glucose
meters today are small,
battery-operated devices.

12. USING A GLUCOMETER
 When you want to test for
glucose with a glucose meter you
need to place a small sample of
your blood on a test strip. Your
skin is pricked with a lancet - like
a very fast pin-prick.
 These test strips are disposable.
You then place the strip in the
monitor. The strips are coated
with enzymes that combine with
glucose in blood.
 Based on the glucose level in
blood,they flash the appropriate
values on the screen.

13. Prevention is better than cure…if it
can’t be prevented,it can surely be
controlled.

14. Be more physically active !!
 Go for a walk with a friend,
a neighbour, your family
 Don’t take the elevator..
Use the stairs
 Park further away, walk a
few more steps
 Play with your children,
grandchildren or friends
 Clean around the house
 Run errands
 Join an Aerobics or Tai-Chi
class
 Go for weekend Yoga
lessons

15. Eat
healthy
!!

16. Who gives a damn! I think the doctor is just
scaring me unecessarily.. I’m just fine!!
 If your Diabetes is
undiagnosed,you are
just unlucky
 If you have been
informed about your
ailment and yet
choose not to do
anything,YOU ARE A
FOOL and are
gambling with your
life!
 Why should you
control it 

17. REMEMBER!!
Diabetes is serious yet controllable!
 1. Learn about diabetes - what you can do to control your
diabetes
 2 . Be physically active every day– dance or walk !
 3 . Learn what you should eat. A registered
dietician can help you plan your meals
 4 . Make wise food choices – less fat, low salt.
More fiber (fruits and vegetables)
 5 . Visit your doctor or health care provider

18.  Spread the word
!!
 Educate your
friends, family
and loved ones
 Care for those
who need it the
most
 Be responsible..
Health is a gift !!