There is an epidemic of diabetes sweeping our nation and if this was a flu virus people would be demanding the government take immediate action. Diabetes effects 150 million people worldwide.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious health condition that there is no cure for. If left untreated it may lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation.
There are 3 types of diabetes, Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes.
Type 1
This type of diabetes occurs when the immune system damages the pancras which prevents it form producing insulin. This form of diabetes represents 10-15% of all cases and is the most chronic childhood disease. Typically the onset is abrupt and symptoms are obvious. They can include excessive thirst and urination, unexplained weight loss, weakness and fatigue, muscle cramps, blurred vision, skin infections and some tingling or numbness in feet.
Type 2
This occurs when the pancreas is not producing enough insulin and insulin is not working effectively. It represents 80 - 95% of all cases of diabetes. This type develops in adults over age 45 but is increasingly occuring at a younger age. It is also more prevalent in people with a family history of type 2 diabetes who are from particular ethnic bacckgrounds. Symptoms are very similar to type 1 but some people do not expwerience any symptoms at all and many cases are being discovered by simple screening of blood glucose. Others may suffer a complication such as heart attack. Type 2 can be managed with a healthy lifestyle and regular medical checks. Eventually, however, tablets and or insulin may be needed.
Gestational Diabetes
This type occurs in around 5% of pregnancies. In the majority of women, symptoms disappear after birth. However, this type significantly increases a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Women over 25 who are overweight with a family history of diabetes or women who have had past gestational diabetes are at an increased risk.
Recent research has revealed that one in 3 Australians living with diabetes will be dead by 2018. The number of Australians developing diabetes each year could fill the MCG. In Australia alone the annual cost of diabetes is estimated to be around 6 billion dollars and the rate of increase this means that Australia will not be able to fund the medical costs into the near future.
How can you ease the burden?
First and foremost take care of yourself. If you are overweight then do something about it now. Try starting with some moderate exercise, 30 minutes a day at a moderate pace is a great start. Then look at your diet and this means not just what you are eating but how much too. The best way is to keep a food diary for a week. Write down everything you eat, how much and at what time, sometimes people just don't realise how much they are eating until it is all laid out in front of them. Once you have your food diary completed you will be able to see where you can start to make changes. Swapping biscuits or cake at morning tea with a fruit salad or low fat/low sugar yoghurt. Replacing whitebread with wholemeal or multigrain. When you go shopping read the labels, not only do you want low fat but also low sugar (carbohydrate).
Second of all you can protect yourself and your family from the financial burden by making sure you have adequate medical and personal risk insurance. Trauma insurance covers diabetes and can be used to help offset medical expenses incurred by treatment.
WL
