The international event that helps raise awareness about diabetes and bring various individuals of different domains together is referred to as World Diabetes Day. On this day, healthcare professionals, communities, patients, and all get together to raise awareness for the betterment of diabetic patients. Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects a huge array of individuals and makes their simple life challenging. 

This life-altering condition poses difficulties in the daily life of an individual. Every year, there is a specific theme that represents this significant day. The theme of World Diabetes Day in 2023 is Access to Diabetes Care. Here, we will get into essential information about diabetes and ways to make it more manageable for the patients.

What is Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of deadly conditions like stroke, kidney failure, or heart attack. It is a chronic condition that occurs when your pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin as per the requirement of the body. Now insulin is an important hormone that is responsible for the regulation of blood glucose. This condition specifically affects nerves and blood vessels which sometimes leads to amputation-like issues. It can affect people of all ages whether young, old, or child.

Types of Diabetes

Diabetes is categorised into several types which are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Further descriptions of these types of diabetes are given here:

• Type 1 Diabetes

It is also common with the name of insulin-dependent diabetes in which there is a deficiency in the production of insulin. Because of this, a patient needs to administer insulin on a daily basis. It is commonly found in children or younger adults.

• Type 2 Diabetes

It is a type in which the usability of sugar is affected. The human body becomes unable to use insulin appropriately which can cause serious damage to the body. Yet, it is commonly found in adults in comparison to children.

• Gestational Diabetes

As the name indicates, it develops in the pregnancy period. People with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

• Type 3c Diabetes

This type occurs because of damage to the pancreas. It may include cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, pancreatic cancer, or other pancreatic damage situations.

Causes of Diabetes

There are several factors that contribute to causing diabetes. Some of them include:

• Family history
• Insulin
• Bad diet
• Inactivity
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Blood lipid level
• Damage to pancreas
• Genes

Symptoms of Diabetes

The symptoms of diabetes include the following:

• Frequent urination, commonly at night
• Feeling of thirst
• Hungry all the time
• Blurry vision
• Reduction in recovery rate
• Tingling and paresthesia in hands and feet
• Notable loss in weight

Diagnosis of Diabetes

• Fasting blood glucose test
• Random blood glucose test
• Oral glucose tolerance test
• A1c or glycated haemoglobin test

Management of Insulin

The management of this complex condition can be quite challenging. To cater to diabetes, you need to monitor your blood sugar level regularly. For this purpose, you can get assistance from a continuous glucose monitor. Oral diabetes medication also aids in managing blood sugar levels. Metformin is occasionally prescribed to diabetic patients.

Injection of insulin is also a reliable way to manage diabetes. There are multiple ways to inject insulin such as rapid-acting inhaled insulin, injectable insulin, insulin pumps, and insulin pens. Paying attention to diet and wearing compression socks to regulate blood circulation in extremities is also important.

Purpose of World Diabetes Day

Every year, we celebrate world diabetes day with all zest and zeal. The major purpose behind celebrating this day is to raise awareness about diabetes and its related information. The early diagnosis of diabetes helps in early management of diabetes. Moreover, this day also contributes to the promotion of preventive measures in order to reduce the risk of the pandemic. Other than this, patients also learn about healthy food and lifestyle that can help them fight diabetes. One can also improve the quality of their life to improve overall well-being.

Barriers to Diabetes Care

Day by day, the risk of diabetes is increasing but because of some barriers, patients are unable to help themselves in treating this condition. One of the biggest barriers is a lack of knowledge and support. The shortage of resources, negative emotions, and financial issues are also major barriers to diabetic care.

How to Play Your Part in World Diabetes Day

Every person should participate in World Diabetes Day to raise awareness and to promote its prevention. If you want to play your part in World Diabetes Day, initially learn all about diabetes. This will help you to develop a better understanding and awareness of people in the best possible way. Moreover, the official colour of diabetes is trusted to be blue, so you can also dress yourself in blue clothing.

If you are capable, arrange free camps in which every person can get free check ups which can help in early diagnosis of Diabetes. If you are active on social media, run campaigns that can help raise awareness about diabetes globally.

How to Regulate Blood Flow in Diabetic Patients

It is one of the crucial components in saving the life of diabetic patients. If not managed, it can lead to serious issues like peripheral neuropathy. Sometimes, things get so out of hand that amputation is the only option for diabetic patients. If you have diabetes or you know someone who is suffering from diabetes, try using compression socks. The compression socks not only help in regulating blood flow but also help in managing swelling.

Conclusion

In this article, we have learned about World Diabetes Day. Every year, on the 14^th of November, this day is celebrated in order to fight the life-threatening impacts of diabetes. By giving proper awareness about diabetes, you escalate the quality of life of diabetic patients. Above, you can find significant information about diabetes such as its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, management, and more. If you want to play your part on this particular day, arrange medical camps, or run social media campaigns.