Lokoja – Dr Abdulrahman Jafar of the Department of Family Medicine, Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, has urged governments to raise public awareness on the alarming rate of diabetes.
Jafar made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Saturday.
The expert stressed the need to increase public enlightenment and encourage the prevention of the disease in the country.
He urged stakeholders and governments at all levels to raise awareness on the alarming rate of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases like hypertension, cancer, among others.
“The general public must be sensitised on its early signs, detection, possible preventions and treatments.
“Diabetic disease is so common in our environment these days, and is killing people gradually and silently at an alarming rate.
“We must take proactive measures as governments and as individuals to drastically reduce this negative trend in our society.
“To remain healthy is for individuals to adopt measures in their lifestyle that will prevent certain diseases in order to stay healthy”, Jafar said.
He stressed the need for individuals to be careful with what they eat; drink and do which could predispose them to certain diseases.
Jafar defined diabetes as one of the non-communicable diseases that occurred as a result of metabolic disorder.
“It can also be referred to as a metabolic disease due to the inability of body cells to handle glucose because of their weaknesses..
He explained that with insulin, the substance that convert glucose into storage for further assimilation by the body, the disease could be controlled.
The medical practitioner noted that anybody could have diabetes, adding that it has no permanent cure.
Jafar said diabetic patients usually complained of excessive urination (poly-urea), excessive thirst (poly-dypsia), excessive eating (poly-phagia), and foaming of urine.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560”]
“In advanced cases, the patients easily get tired, frequent headache, blindness, hypertension and many other symptoms.
“Diabetic diseases are also hereditary but not in all cases, but It does not necessarily mean that diabetic parents will automatically have diabetic children.
“If individuals have family history of diabetes, such persons should find out the age at which their parents developed it and take necessary precautions.
“The public must take responsibility for their lives by being self-conscious to present themselves in the hospital for regular check up of their blood sugar content”, the expert advised.
Jafar, however, urged the public to minimise their consumption rate of refined sugar such as the usual sugar, soft drinks, alcohol and even honey.
He also advised diabetic patients to adhere strictly to clinicians’ advice in terms of clinical appointments, medications and lifestyles.
NAN reports that the World Diabetes Day is marked annually on Nov. 14, to raise awareness on diabetes and how to prevent and manage it. (NAN)