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Diabetes Mellitus (DM)
DM is a medical condition characterized by high blood sugar levels caused by the body’s inability to regulate the blood sugar content.
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas (an organ in the abdomen) to store excess blood sugar in the body’s muscle and fat cells.
DM occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin (Type I DM) or when the body’s cells resist the attempts of this hormone to store more sugar in them (type II DM).
Type I DM commonly develops in childhood. Type II DM can occur at any age, but it is usually diagnosed in people more than 30 years old.
Prevalence of Diabetes in The Gambia
According to the World Health Organization, there were an estimates 22,000 people living with diabetes in the Gambia in 2000. The figure is expected to rise to 61,000 by the year 2030.
What Causes Diabetes?
The causative factors are not the same for the two types of DM. Both types have a genetic predisposition, but this is true more for type II than type I. A genetic predisposition implies that one may (or may not) suffer from DM due to the presence of the condition in one’s immediate or extended family.
Causes of Type I DM
Apart from genetic predisposition, environmental factors such as viral infections in early childhood (mumps, for example) may increase the likelihood of developing type I DM.
Diet also has a part to play in the development of type I DM. The condition can be triggered
by early exposure of a genetically predisposed child to cow’s milk as opposed to breast milk.
Children who are breastfed are less likely to develop type I DM.
Stress also has a part to play in the development of type I Dm. This is so because the hormones released by a person in a stressful state tend to reverse the effects of insulin.
Causes of Type II DM
Type II DM has a stronger genetic tendency that type I. This means that a person with a family history of type II DM is more likely to develop the condition than one with a family history of type I DM.
Having a family history of type II DM just mean one MIGHT develop the condition. And even if a person inherits the genetic predisposition for type II Dm, you would have to be exposed to certain environmental factors to develop full-blown type II DM.
Environmental factors affecting the development of type II DM include the following:
• Obesity
• A diet high in unsaturated fat and refined sugars
• Stress
• Malnutrition in early life (E.g. While still in the womb) and low birth weight may have a role to play in the development of type II DM.
Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus
• Excessive thirst
• Excessive eating (especially with sweet foods)
• Excessive passage of urine during the day (polyuria) and at night (nocturia)
• Excessive tiredness and irritability
• Recent changes in weight (weight gain or weight loss)
• Blurring of vision
Consult your physician
The above symptoms can occur in a variety of conditions and anyone with such symptoms should consult a physician for a thorough evaluation.
Living with Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetics can lead normal lives as long as they remember that managing the condition is a life-long event.
It involves the following steps:
• Regular visits to your physician for periodic evaluation.
• Checking your blood sugar levels regularly.
• Weight reduction (in obese individuals) through regular, tolerable exercise and weight losing diet.
• Taking one’s medications as prescribed by your physician.
Please send your queries and comments to mcham@medgambia.com
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