General Diabetes Information

Diabetes, do you know your facts?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure. It is the leading cause of death by disease in Canada. Thus states the Canadian Diabetes Association. That's a sobering fact, however, although there is as yet no cure, diabetes can be controlled, thanks to the Canadian discoverers of insulin, Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best. In Ontario, on January 23, 1922, they performed the first successful test of using insulin on humans.

What is diabetes?

Normally, our bodies convert the food we eat into a sugar called glucose. With the help of insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the use of sugar in the body, glucose is turned into energy. With diabetes, this does not happen, and the unused glucose builds up in the body. In someone who has diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin (Type 1 diabetes), or, either the pancreas produces some insulin but not enough, or the insulin that is produced isn't being used properly (Type 2 diabetes). The third type of diabetes is called Gestational Diabetes, which is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy.

Is it serious?

If diabetes is left untreated or improperly managed, the high levels of blood sugar associated with diabetes can slowly damage both the small and large blood vessels in the body, resulting in a variety of complications: heart disease is two to four times more common in people with diabetes than without: diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness: in Canada, people with diabetes account for 28 per cent of all new cases of serious kidney disease; worldwide, half or more of all non-traumatic limb amputations are due to diabetes, and diabetes is a major cause of erectile dysfunction.

Are You At Risk?

While the cause of diabetes is unknown, there are factors that make a person more at risk for diabetes: You may be at risk if you: are 45 years old or over are overweight (especially if you carry most of your weight around your waist area) are a member of a high-risk group, (Aboriginal, Hispanic, Asian, or African descent) have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes have given birth to a baby that weighed over 4kg (9 lbs) at birth, or have had gestational diabetes, (diabetes during pregnancy) have high cholesterol or other fats in the blood have higher-than normal blood glucose levels have high blood pressure or heart disease For those already diagno*sed with diabetes, it can be aggravated by stress, excess sugar intake or by developing an infection.

The Canadian Diabetes Association recommends routine screening every three years for everyone age 45 or over and screening every year for individuals with other risk factors. Symptoms While a mild case of diabetes may not show any outward symptoms, the disease is detectable through a simple blood sugar test or a urine analysis. A person with diabetes will have a high level of sugar in his or her blood (because the body cannot metabolize it) and also in his or her urine (as the body tries to flush the excess sugar through the kidneys).

Other symptoms are:

Excessive thirst; Excessive urination
Unusual weight loss
Low strength or energy
Nausea/vomiting
Slow-healing cuts or infections
Blurred vision
Tingling/numbness in hands and/or feet

It is also important to recognize that many people who have Type 2 diabetes may display no symptoms at all. Treatment may vary from person to person, and after discussion with your physician and pharmacist, you will determine the kind of treatment that works best for you.

Treatments may include

Controlled diet (low sugar, low fat, low carbohydrates, high fibre - you may want to speak to a nutritionist)
Insulin injections (even children can learn to inject themselves properly)
Exercise
Weight loss
Oral medication (not everyone with diabetes needs insulin injections)
Regular monitoring of your blood sugar levels
Following your treatment plan is essential in controlling diabetes and in reducing your risk of developing diabetes-related diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, arteriosclerosis, kidney disease, blindness and chronic skin sores.

As diabetes is a chronic disease, the lifestyle changes you make will probably remain with you throughout your life. Educating yourself about diabetes and regularly communicating with your pharmacist and physician will help ensure that you are making the best decisions possible in order to live a full, active life.

How can your pharmacist help?

Check with your pharmacist about any concerns you may have about your disease state or the medications you are receiving. This includes any over-the-counter preparations you may take for cough/cold, pain or topical ailments