Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
A medical consultant at the Department of Internal Medicine, Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto State, Dr. Musa Tambuwal, has said 30 million cases of diabetes are recorded world-wide in which Nigeria has over four million patients.
Tambuwal stated this yesterday in his office as part of activities to mark World Diabetes Day.
He described the rate by which hospitals in Nigeria were recording cases of diabetes as alarming and attributed this to bad lifestyle or lack of exercise to burn excess blood sugar.
“You know diabetes is an excess blood sugar that can results to complications. Prior to this time, our fore fathers did hard work by going to the farm and ate fresh foods. But the case is different now, our people go to fast food joints to eat junks. These foods have excess salt and sugar which can cause health problems like diabetes,” he said. The medical expert added that diabetes has no cure for now, but stressed that it could be managed through proper treatment by avoiding consumption of diet with high carbohydrates.
Tambuwal divulged that diabetes could be classified into four cases, including Type 1 mainly found in children between the age of one to five; Type 2 affects people between the age of 40 to 50 years; Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women as a result of complications; and lastly the one called specific diabetes which is caused as a result of drugs intake.
He advised people on adjustment of lifestyle, frequent medical check up to ascertain blood sugar, reduction in weight, diet control by avoiding eating junks and frequent exercise to burn out excess blood sugar.
The consultant enjoined patients with diabetes not to see it as a death sentence, since the disease could be managed, saying they should avail themselves adequate treatment.
November 14 every year is celebrated as World Diabetes Day, where people are tested free for diabetes and free treatment are offered to the people living with the disease.
