Is it possible to live full-fledged life when you are suffering from diabetes? Yes, it is possible in case you will take a good care about yourself – eat regularly, use insulin properly, adjust the proper dosage, control blood sugar and so on. The fact that such life is more complicated than a usual person has is no doubt real one. This is a life of struggle.

According to physicians there are two types of the diabetes. The insulin dependent type requires constant use of the insulin by the patient as he or she will dye without it. The second type of the disease is easier to treat. The main means here are the diet and certain tablets.

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Today there are 175 million of diabetes patients in the world. According to forecasts this number will increase to 337 millions in the year 2025.

By the way here we should also take into consideration the fact that due to latent (for a certain period) disease character, the lack of access to diagnostics, the whole number of the patients increases the official number in 1.5-2 times.

Young people suffer from the second type of the diabetes quite seldom as its revelation requires quite long checkup. Young people and children especially experience the first and the more serious type of the diabetes. Unfortunately these patients quite often are brought to hospitals already in coma as the disease is hard to reveal throughout its initial stages. For instance when a child wakes up throughout the night to have a drink it attracts no attention. The doctor is usually called only when a child suffers from vomiting and abdomen ache. And it is a real fortune when the doctor managed to reveal the disease and refer child into endocrinology section of the hospital as appendicitis or contagion are often diagnosed in such cases. Thus doctors are quite concerned about people education. But let ask a doctor several questions about diabetes.

- What is the danger of diabetes?

A person suffering of this disease has to take thorough care about him, follow the diet, control blood sugar level, inject or use prescribed medicines in time. Otherwise there is a real possibility to die quite soon. After 10-20 years certain irreversible complications are formed. Blood vessels are affected and then a person may die in quite young age.

Besides, diabetes has also following feature. The use of the medications seems to be quite effective for the patients. However, when these patients are checked up for the haemoglobin or any complications it becomes clear that they are not compensated enough.

- In other words, it may happen that person feels well but in the reality…

Mostly it happens so. There is a need to take care about eyes, kidneys and check other organs. As when you will become blind it will be too late.

- And what are the initial diabetes signs? What should be considered attentively by the patient and his relatives?

Thirst and loss of weight. In case you start to drink a lot, loose your weight and often wake up throughout the night to urinate then you should check your blood sugar level. In a hot weather people drink a lot but there is no increased urination. For instance, hot workshops are equipped with water supply well but there are not so many lavatories as all water evaporates throughout the skin with sweat. And diabetes is characterized not only by increased thirst but by increased urination also. Thus in case a child or teenager has never woken up throughout the night before and then suddenly started to wake up 2-3 times during the night to have a drink or urinate – take a concern about it.

- What are the health hazards? Professional, for instance?

There are no professional health hazards. The main diabetes health hazard is inheritance. In case anyone of your ancestry has suffered from diabetes then the second type of this disease is quite possible to appear. Another health hazard is obesity. People with excessive weight experience diabetes more often.

- What is primary and secondary in this area? Obesity leads to diabetes or diabetes causes obesity?

Actually they are parallel. Firstly appears obesity and then diabetes. It is quite possible that disposed to diabetes people have increased appetite by nature, they like sweet and farinaceous foods. They experience misbalanced metabolism – so called metabolic syndrome, increased insulin secretion and etc.

- What are the common methods of diabetes treating?

First type diabetes treatment requires insulin injections. Second type of the disease previously was treated only by diet and certain tablets, however now combined methods including insulin injections and tablets are applied as well. People in years often need only to follow certain diet.

- Why people are afraid of changing tablets for insulin injections?

There are certain psychological reasons. It is possible to sense this fear humanly. Just ask any healthy person what treatment is more appropriate – tablets or injections? Certainly we choose tablets as regular injections cause a fear. This is painful; it requires syringes, regular use despite the fact where you are what you do. Furthermore there is an ignorance fear – people often suppose that in case you are treated by the injections then you don’t have an outlook anymore.

- Is it really so?

Surely, no. People, especially those of 40-50 years old and quite active in their life are surely better to compensate their insulin with injections and not tablets. No doctor has definite aim to impose the patient to take this or that medication. Doctor only strives for the treatment that will provide normal blood sugar level. It is easier to get this aim with insulin injections than with tablets. However in case positive result is achieved only throughout the diet no one will prescribe tablets, in case it is reached by the diet and tablets – no one will prescribe insulin injections. And finally in case all attempts are in vain then insulin is prescribed. However there is no need to be afraid of this. Furthermore modern injections are quite different to those applied 15-20 years ago.

- Please tell a bit more about modern methods of diabetes treatment.

Initially insulin was extracted from the animals (cows, pigs) organs. Then engineered technology was applied to extract human insulin. It was elaborated throughout a long period and finally this insulin became a tool of doctors in 1984-85. This was a real revolution. First of all, it was human insulin, not the porcine or bovine one. It is own for human and it is better assimilated. Secondly, it is possible to manufacture such insulin as much as it is needed and there will be no lack of it. Thirdly, this insulin is clearer as the animals’ organs extract is harder to purify. This was a huge step into the new age. Human insulin was applied for about 15 years.

However pharmacology developed throughout this time and new medications were invented. Today is the insulin analogues age. They include not only all the features of the human insulin but also have following peculiarities: they have smoother action, make it able to decrease patients’ dependence on the diet, choose the proper dosage faster and better for each patient. There are also analogues for a prolonged action. These medications have no surges in their action and provide smooth insulin blood profile.

Diabetes treatment is an expensive one. Patients are usually provided with insulin for free, however self-control means like test stripes for the definition of the sugar blood level are not costless. Furthermore not only patients but their relatives also have to know what is allowed and what is prohibited. Such “education” takes a lot of time. Special centers are established to provide this education.

- So what we shall do to help diabetes patients?

Probably the way out is to unite and provide a help to those who need it. For instance, there are special audio glucometers for blind diabetes patients. It is quite useful device though rather expensive.

- Do you contact you foreign colleagues?

There is an International Diabetic Federation (IDF) this is world organization uniting health protection experts as well as patients with corresponding diagnosis. Doctors, pharmaceutists, companies producing goods for diabetics, patients’ relatives and all kind persons providing assistance to diabetics are the members of this organization.

IDF was established in 1923 in Amsterdam. Today it includes 172 associations from 132 countries. The main IDF aims are diabetes researches development, new treatment methods application and as a result – improvement of diabetes patients life quality.

The urgency of this problem in the world may be seen for instance in the recent IDF appeal to UN with the application to engage the governments of all states in the diabetes problem.

- And the last question. What do you tell to the parents in case the child turns to have diabetes?

Well, I say that this is not the worst disease. There are certain diseases like cancerous growth, in such cases doctors say there is a chance to live but no guarantees. And diabetes is the disease that enables a doctor to provide guarantee that the child will be able to survive and live a full-fledged life. However the only condition is that initially parents and then the patient himself will conscientiously and actively help the doctor. Children suffering diabetes mostly graduate universities. By the way many of them go to medical academies to study to be a doctor.

- A doctor?

It is not surprisingly though. Sick person has more will to help another one. And this is quite common. Moreover, from his childhood this person is used to make efforts to reach his aims. A person suffering from diabetes may and must have normal, active and full-fledged life. But this is a life of struggle.