fp Turks and Caicos

Diabetes currently affects more than 300 million people worldwide. A further 350 million are at high risk of developing diabetes.

Diabetes is one of several non-communicable diseases that threaten to overwhelm healthcare systems and are emerging as a serious barrier to economic development.

What is diabetes?

When you eat, some of your food is broken down into glucose (a kind of sugar). Glucose travels in your blood to all your body’s cells. Insulin, made by your pancreas, helps glucose move from your blood into your cells. Glucose helps your cells produce the energy you need for healthy living.

Glucose from food makes your blood glucose level go up. Insulin lowers blood glucose levels by helping glucose move from your bloodstream into your cells. When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make any insulin, or not enough insulin, or your body prevents the insulin you do produce from working properly. You must do the work your body did before diabetes to keep your insulin and glucose in balance.

Types of diabetes

The most common types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas (the organ that makes insulin) does not work right. The cells that produce insulin are damaged or destroyed, so the body makes little or no insulin. Type 1 usually occurs in children or young adults.

In Type 2 diabetes, the body makes some insulin but not enough. Or the body prevents the insulin you do produce from working properly. Type 2 diabetes is more common in overweight older adults and is the most common type in Turks and Caicos Islands.

Diabetes can also occur during pregnancy, called gestational diabetes.

Risk factors for diabetes

• Being overweight
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), and high cholesterol
• Having a family history of Diabetes
• History of Gestational Diabetes
• Increased age (Type 2)
• Unhealthy diet
• Lack of exercise

Signs of diabetes

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Sudden weight loss
• Tiredness
• Lack of interest and concentration
• Vomiting and stomach pain
• Tingling sensation or numbness in the hands and feet
• Blurred vision
• Frequent infections
• Slow healing wounds
• Sexual problems
• Vaginal infections

Your diabetes-care team can work with you to create your diabetes treatment plan. Your plan will match your likes, dislikes and living habits with your blood glucose goals.

A typical plan includes a meal plan, a plan for staying active, instructions on how and when to check your blood glucose, and your personal blood glucose goals (or target range). If you take diabetes medicine, the plan includes the types, dosage, and the timing of doses, other healthcare goals (such as managing your weight and blood pressure), and schedule for regular health checkups.

Managing your blood glucose can help you reduce your risk of kidney disease, nerve damage and damage to your eyes, your teeth and gums (with high glucose levels in your saliva). Heart disease and stroke are much more likely to occur in people with diabetes than in other people. Most of these heart and blood vessel problems are due to a blockage or slowing down of blood flow in the body.

People with diabetes are more likely to have problems with their feet. Untreated foot problems caused by poor blood circulation, nerve damage or infection may cause you to lose your toe, foot or leg.

Come join our Diabetic Association and learn more about diabetes. Take control, now.