This time in our special program Ask the Expert, we talked about diabetes, which every other person suffers from these days. We talked about this disease with Dr. Farhan Ahmed, who is MS General Surgery and is currently working in a hospital in Varanasi. After talking to the doctor, we learned what diabetes is, what causes it and what other changes the patient can make to manage it like eating habits and exercising.
The doctor told that diabetes is caused genetically in some people and in some people it also occurs due to excessive changes in lifestyle or eating habits. If we are living a life full of laziness then we are most likely to get sugar. Although there is no age limit for this, but it is often seen that after 45, the chances of its occurrence increases due to our stressful lifestyle. These days, people are often suffering from diabetes due to excessive stress.
Question: How does diabetes occur?
Answer – Nowadays this disease is continuously increasing everywhere, be it city or village. This disease is also known by other names like sugar, diabetes or diabetes. Disease occurs in some people due to heredity and their daily activities also play a role in it.
Question: Is there a certain age for diabetes?
Answer – No, there is no specific age criteria for this disease, but it is generally seen that due to stress, this disease becomes common in people after the age of about 45 years. There are two types of diabetes, in type one the pancreas does not make insulin. So, in type two the body becomes insulin resistant.
Question – In how many stages can this disease spread?
Answer: Some symptoms of pre-diabetes are already visible. In which the patient starts getting tired quickly. At the same time, he also starts sweating more than before. Apart from this, he also starts urinating more. After urination, ants also settle at that place. If the fasting test is between 90 to 110, then it is normal but if it is more than this, it comes under the category of diabetes. Also, PPI is considered normal between 140 to 190.
Question – Can this reading change according to age?
Answer: No, there is no significant difference in the test readings. It could just be 5 to 10 points more or less.
Question: After how many readings should a doctor be contacted?
Answer: Sometimes eating too much sugar just before the test can lead to higher readings. Which does not mean that the person has sugar, but if excessive sugar is seen in HB1AC, fasting and PP, then the person will be considered ill. Apart from all this, we should immediately contact the doctor if the symptoms of diabetes continue to appear. So that this disease can be stopped in the initial stage itself.
Question: At which stage is the need to take insulin felt?
Answer: Type 2 diabetes also requires insulin, but once it becomes chronic, it is required more. But in type one, insulin may be needed in the beginning. Along with taking medicines, a diabetic patient should also make special changes in his daily routine. It is not possible to control sugar with medicines.
Question – What rules should a diabetic patient definitely follow in his daily routine along with eating?
Answer – If the patient knows that he is suffering from diabetes, then he should avoid eating sweet things and should consume things like roasted gram and bottle gourd as much as possible. Apart from this, morning walk also proves beneficial in this case. Consumption of mango and banana should also be avoided among fruits.
Question: How much exercise should a person suffering from diabetes do?
Answer – Everyone should exercise and walk according to their body capacity and these rules are better for everyone. However, it is very important to keep it regular even during this time.
Question – Can diabetes be reversed in the initial stages?
Answer: In pre-diabetes, a person becomes aware of its symptoms in the beginning itself. Which can be controlled by eating regularly and improving your daily routine. If the early or chronic stage of diabetes has reached then the best solution is for the patient to contact the doctor.
Question – Is it a guarantee that taking medicine for a long time will eliminate sugar?
Answer – No, it is not so at all, if a person thinks that his sugar will be cured by taking medicine, then it is a big misunderstanding. The medicine is just a supportive drug but he can control the disease due to his diet and he is taking the medicine in limited quantity. It should be done regularly.
Question – What are the changes by which sugar can be definitely controlled?
Answer – This disease can be controlled by simple regular procedures like waking up early in the morning, having a nutritious breakfast, taking early bath, taking some rest after eating lunch in the afternoon and eating very light food at night. In all this, better diet is most important. During this period, the patient should avoid consuming mutton but he can definitely eat chicken occasionally.
Question – Is there a possibility of increasing sugar due to being hungry?
Answer – Of course, it definitely has an effect because constant fasting has a negative effect on the liver and helps in increasing the sugar. Staying hungry for too long can also reduce the sugar level. That is why a patient suffering from diabetes should keep eating something every 2 hours.
Question – What effect does low sugar level have on a patient's health?
Answer: Just as there are complications of hyperglycemia. Similarly, hypoglycemia also has complications. If hypoglycemia persists for a longer period, the risk of brain edema increases. Due to which swelling occurs inside the brain of the person and which can be cured with great difficulty. Therefore, it is important for a person suffering from diabetes to keep getting his sugar checked regularly. And due to continuous falling of sugar level, he should be fed some sweet food but if the case becomes serious, he needs to be hospitalized immediately.
What – Vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk of diabetes?
Answer – It cannot be said that diabetes occurs only due to deficiency of Vitamin D. However, this is definitely one of the many reasons. Having diabetes for a long time is not a serious threat, whereas uncontrolled diabetes is the most dangerous condition. After this, the chances of the patient having diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy increase. Apart from this he may have many other serious problems.
Question – To what extent can a person's sugar level increase due to excessive stress?
Answer – Generally, there is no prescribed scale for stress, but whenever it is felt that mental stress is increasing, then vigilance becomes necessary. A patient with uncontrolled diabetes should especially take care that there are no serious wounds on the body. Apart from this, if the patient does not sweat much then the disease can become even more fatal.
Question: What is diabetic foot?
Answer: The area with diabetic neuropathy is called diabetic foot. According to which a wound is formed in the body but there is no pain in it and it continues to grow due to which the patient has to face more problems in the future.
Click here to watch full video
Image Credit: PravaSakshi Assets
