DIABETES MELLITUS: Symptom Analysis;Do's & Don'ts!!!

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The World Health Organisation has defined Diabetes Mellitus as:" a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood".

The above definition might sound complex to some of you but we hope that with the next few lines, you become more informed.Let's start from the fact that, a chemical problem (lack of- or insulin- malfunction) leads to excess of sugar in the human blood stream. "How do I even know that my blood sugar is higher than normal and if it is,so what?" Read the short story of an arbitrary Civil Servant for the answer to the above question.

Akpos is a 32 year old Civil Servant and this is his story. "I am literally eating a cow thrice a day but losing weight significantly, I am beginning to fear. I feel thirsty like a Tuareg without water to drink in the Safari desert and even if I drink a full tank at a go,I can't seem to quell the thirst. I am urinating after every 1 hour and the other day, I noticed a lesion of ants around few drops of my urine that spilled to the ground mistakenly, when I went back to take another Pee. My erection is failing theses days unlike before and the unexplained tiredness I feel in recent times has left me super confused ,Doctor. What exactly is this?"


WHAT TO DO:
If you know anyone complaining of the above issues raised by Akpos or you are currently  experiencing  anything as such, the next stop should be a healthcare facility where your blood sugar can be checked. Until proven otherwise, the diagnosis is likely diabetes mellitus but this is not a terrible problem yet until, the appropriate action is ignored and complications set in. Report to your healthcare provider and I am certain that your figures will be explained to you and necessary action taken,if need be. Exercise is key when it comes to keeping your blood sugar optimum. Always try to put some sweat out  time into your very busy schedule.

DON'TS:
Herbal concoctions cannot help. Bitter drinks do not do it. Your Creator can heal you we know but not necessarily in the church. 

REFERENCES:
http://www.who.int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs138/en/
*http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/

7 comments

  1. Nice write up Doctor,
    U are indirectly advertising Accucheck®.

    I have a puzzle and am optimistic that u will help me out.
    I have a Olumba Olumba Obu as a diabetic patient with foot at risk. How do I go about counseling him to avoid conflict of interest

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  2. Hello "Ogbia Clinic". First of all thanks for your recent visits & many thanks for this all important question.

    If I understand your question, you have a religious fanatic from one of the Traditional Nigerian denominations having a history of Diabetes Mellitus with foot at risk.

    *First step will be to acknowledge and respect the patient's right to spiritual denomination.
    *You can then counsel him on the need to maintain optimum blood sugar control.
    * In the course of counselling the patient, you then nicely chip in potential complications and risk factors that can lead to these complications; in this case- a diabetic foot ulcer & possible amputation if care is not taken,being the emphasis.

    I am aware that the spiritual denomination mentioned encourages members to go around on bare feet,especially during worship days, so whilst showing respect for the patient's decision to partake in such a practice, do well to nicely educate him of "exceptions for people with special needs".

    Always take short breaks to ensure that the patient understands every message you pass across. When the patient perceives that, you are by no means discriminatory but truly concerned,he/she will warm up to you and you would have done your job. Final decision is theirs to make. I usually say a big amen, when faced with spiritually inclined patients. Actually ,miracles happen everyday and the fact that they are seeking care at the right place is a miracle waiting to manifest. I hope this was helpful.

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  3. Thanks real good Doctor,
    This will go a long way in my counseling techniques for such special patients.

    But Dr. KEVWE, u were silent over the first point I raised @ Accucheck ®

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  4. @Ogbia Clinic-:
    RE:ACCUCHECK.
    Yes I appreciate the notion but it is not a Pfizer paid advert. I was just trying to demonstrate the glucometer itself through the royalty free image. Even if I tend to recommend this brand by default.
    We also have not started accepting Privately sponsored Adverts yet. 10,000 unique page views is our individually set, take off point for that venture. For now, Google is doing a great job flooding readers with amazing opportunities via the currently running Ads.

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  5. Even before symptoms arise, one can just go for a check. But in this part of the world, many people do not see the need to go for checks especially when they do not have any symptoms. Some people may even be symptomatic without knowing it. Some organisations and churches conduct medical outreaches one in a while and offer free blood sugar and blood pressure checks amongst others,and lives have been saved from such. Living a healthy lifestyle and going for medical checks once in a while would do a lot of good.

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