Diabetes is one of the most common killer diseases in the world today. Diabetes has been reported to cause agonizing physical pain in victims and like other terminal diseases, diabetes is spreading at an increasingly alarming rate and has even been recorded to have a higher mortality rate than AIDS and breast cancer combined. Studies in the US have also indicated that “as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050” whereas, “3.9 million people are already living with diabetes in the UK”. It has further been predicted that by 2030, diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. So the essence of this article shall be to bring to light some of the health related facts that you probably didn’t know about this disease.
1. There is currently no cure for diabetes
It is relevant for you to understand that health experts have so far not been able to successfully create a cure for diabetes. However, when diagnosed at an early stage, there are treatments that can help contain it and prevent it from causing sudden harm to the body.
2. There are two types of diabetes
There are mainly two variations of diabetes, one is known as Type 1 diabetes while the other is Type 2 diabetes. The former is triggered by little or no production of insulin in the body, while the latter is triggered when the body does not effectively use the available insulin.
3. People of all age groups can get diabetes
Diabetes is not only limited to grown-ups, even a young child can develop diabetes. This type of diabetes is known as Type 1 diabetes.
4. Diabetes has some uncomfortable symptoms
Some of the symptoms associated with diabetes range from: frequent urination, thirst, hunger even after eating, extreme fatigue, uncalled-for weight loss, blurry vision and numbness in the hands.
5. Pregnant women are also at risk of getting a type of diabetes
Another common type of diabetes is known as Gestational Diabetes – this diabetes have been recorded to be common among pregnant women and often comes with no prior symptoms.
6. If diabetes is not properly treated, other illnesses can develop
Studies have indicate that diabetes on its own may not necessarily cause death but it creates a conducive atmosphere for other illness such as kidney failure, stroke, nerve damage, blindness (among others), which eventually cause death.
image courtesy of: agscientific.com.
