2. CONTENTS
WHAT IS DIABETES ?
FOOD AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
CONTROLLING BLOOD GLUCOSE
POSSIBLE LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS
3. Myth OR TRUTH?
MYTH
• Eating too much sugar can cause diabetes.
TRUTH
• Diabetes is caused by a combination of inherited and
environmental factors.
• Sugar itself doesn’t cause diabetes but it can make you put
on weight.
• Being overweight increases your risk of developing Type 2
diabetes.
4. WHAT IS DIABETES ?
• Diabetes is a condition in which body cannot control the level of
glucose (sugar) in blood because pancreas does not produce
insulin , does not produce enough insulin , or body cells are
resistant to action of insulin.
• Therefore, when body glucose level raises , the glucose cannot
get into body cells and so they are deprived of their usual source
of energy.
• This disrupts bodily processes and can cause some of the
symptoms of diabetes .
5. Symptoms
• Passing large amount of urine frequently.
• Dry mouth, Excessive thirst.
• Lack of energy.
• Weight Loss.
• BlurredVision.
• Fruity smelling breath.
• Thrush and cystitis.
6. Medical tests used in diagnosis of Diabetes
• Urine test
• Fingerprick test
• Random blood glucose test
• Fasting blood glucose test
• Oral glucose tolerance test
7. Medical tests after diagnosis
• Height , Weight and Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Blood pressure
• Foot examination
• Eye examination
• Other tests
Blood tests are performed to check kidney, liver, and thyroid
function, and blood fat levels.
HbA1c test (measures glucose level over the previous six to
eight weeks)
8. FOOD
• Having diabetes is about making healthy eating choices
whenever you can , eating regularly – or at the right times to
balance the effects of any tablets and or insulin you take – and
being aware of the effects of alcohol on your diabetes.
• Whether you cook at home or eat out , there are always ways to
enjoy food and care for diabetes.
9. • If you think you won’t be able to get something to eat when your
tablets or insulin are working, take food with you from home.
• Balance food intake through out the day rather than having one
very large meal, which could cause blood glucose level to rise too
high whatever tablets or insulin you take.
• Try to eat more fish and poultry – overall these are lower in fat
than red meat.
• Avoid fried foods.
• Avoid using sweeteners in baking – you will get much better
results using ordinary sugar but reducing the amount .
• Increasing your fibre intake – have a piece of fruit as a snack
instead of a biscuit.
10. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
• Having a reasonably active lifestyle makes a huge difference to
general health and well being as well as diabetes control.
• Whether you want to walk dance or run a marathon is up to us, if
we are moderately active on a regular and long term basis we will
feel the benefits.
11. Fitting more activity into your day
• Walk or cycle short distances instead of driving.
• Get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way.
• Use the stairs instead of lift if going up one or two floors.
• Walk up escalators.
• Incorporate a short walk into daily routine, perhaps after lunch or
in the evening.
• Do some extra gardening or house work.
PracticalTips
12. Controlling diabetes withTablets
Controlling blood glucose level with tablets is likely to be part of
daily routine forType 2 Diabetes.
Different tablets work better for different people – they may
need to try more than one tablet or different combinations
before they find one suits them.
Tablets don’t actually contain insulin, as it would be broken
during digestion.
Instead, tablets control blood glucose in one or more ways.
13. • Increasing the amount of insulin which body produces.
• Helping body cells to use insulin more efficiently.
• Reducing the amount of glucose liver produces.
• Slowing down digestion of carbohydrate rich foods
14. Type of tablets
• Metformin
• Sulphonylureas
• Thiazolidinediones (Rosiglitazone + Pioglitazone)
• Repaglinide and Nateglinide
15. Controlling diabetes with Insulin
• Rapid acting insulin
• Short acting insulin
• Long acting insulin
• Intermediate acting insulin
• Peakless long acting inslin
Insulin is essential forType 1 diabetes and is likely to be part of
treatment at some point forType 2 diabetes.
Types of insulin
16. POSSIBLE LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS
Managing diabetes requires effort and discipline every day.
Having diabetes over a period of years causes physical damage to
vessels and nerves .
Complications resulting from this damage can affect eyes, kidneys,
feet, and heart as well as other conditions such as sexual
difficulties