Beware of Diabetes , the silent killer!!!

India has emerged as one of the fastest growing nations in the past decade.The march towards progress has also seen a rise in stress levels and life style diseases ,especially in India's working population .According to the World Health Organization ,an estimated 31.7 million people in India had diabetes  in 2000 and this number is estimated to more than double to 79.4 million by 2030.These figures are indeed staggering ,but what is even more alarming is that healthcare professional and experts feel the number is likely to be much higher,given the current pandemic of diabetes in India . While Type 1 diabetes as an auto-immune disorder ,mostly detected in children ,Type 2 diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency in adults .You are at risk if diabetes runs in your family ,you have hypertension ,you are overweight ,you have impaired glucose tolerance or you are a women who had gestational diabetes when you were pregnant .
As per the International Diabetes  Federation's Diabetes Atlas,an estimated 1.1 million adults are expected to die from diabetes -related causes,accounting for 14.3% of all deaths in the 20-79 age group.
"Symptoms of diabetes include extreme thirst and hunger ,frequent urination ,sores or bruises that heal slowly ,dry,itchy,skin,unexplained  weight loss,unusual tiredness or drowsiness and tingling or numbness in the hand or feet", explains Dr Anubha Swaminathon from Chennai .The diabetologist says watching out for these signals and visiting your family doctor for regular check-ups can go a long way in detecting diabetes early.
"The chances of getting diabetes are high in people with a family history of diabetes ,high cholesterol and high blood pressure ,Tackling diabetes and treating it depends on what stage you can catch it at. if you catch it before it at. If you catch it before it manifests fully,it is easier to fight the diseases ,"says Professor Dr C V Harinarayan ,Endocrinologist ,Fortis Hospital ,Bangaloru
"If your are diagnosed with diabetes ,it is important to have regular follow-ups even after the count is regulated .The recommended diet plan must be followed and body weight should be maintained within the ideal range as obesity can lead to further complications ,"explains Dr Harinarayan   .
Experts say that eating right is a key step to preventing and controlling diabetes .Dietician Shikha Sood says eating right for diabetes boils down to what you eat ,when you need to and how much you eat .
Monitoring your health is important and detecting diabetes early is very crucial for your vital organs .Walking briskly for around 30 minutes a day is good exercise,intake of foods like bitter gourd, fenugreek, Indian blackberry (jamun) ,flaxseed,etc is known to help diabetes .
"Diabetic patients need  to be screened for diabetic retinopathy ,a complication that is now increasingly becoming rampant in India. It can even lead to blindness ,"says Mumbai based ophthalmologist Dr Sanjeev Gupta.
These days ,many corporate organizations have an annual health check-up programme for their employees through tie-ups with reputed hospitals. While people do go for these check-ups,it is even more important to emphasise on the importance of preventing the disease cautions Dr Haranarayan ..
Awareness regarding diabetes is increasing among educated people ,but there's still a long way to go...