In recent years, the global number of diabetes is increasing, China is the country with the most diabetes patients in the world, the latest report shows that the prevalence of adult diabetes is 11.9%, the number reaches 125 million, there would be one diabetes patient from 10 adults on average.
However, in the context of the increasing incidence of diabetes, there are still many people who deal with diabetes prevention carelessly. Yu Lijun, Director of Endocrinology Department of Hainan Chengmei Hospital, reminded that self-management of diabetes patients is very important!
Diabetes can be prevented and treated
Yu Lijun introduced that diabetes, also known as "affluence disease", is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is caused by defective or impaired insulin secretion. Long-term hyperglycemia can lead to chronic damage and dysfunction of various tissues, such as eyes, kidneys, heart, blood vessels and nerves. Its typical clinical manifestations are "three more(poly-) and one less" (polyuria, polyporesis, polyporesis and weight loss), there will also be fatigue, limbs numbness, tingling, pain, skin itching, foaming in urine and blurred vision and other symptoms. The diagnosis of diabetes is mainly based on blood glucose. Fasting blood glucose ≥7.0mmol/L (mmol/L) or blood glucose 2 hours after a meal ≥11.1mmol/L (mmol/L) can be diagnosed as diabetes. Hemoglobin A1C ≥6.5% can also be diagnosed as diabetes.
"When many patients hear that they have diabetes, they would be frightened and become very anxious, and some patients become very negative, both of which are not conducive to the control of the disease.” Yu Lijun said that diabetes is not horrible, which is preventable and treatable, with correct understanding of diabetes, active treatment of diabetes, control the development of the disease to delay complications, diabetes patients can still enjoy life as normal people.
The best doctor is yourself
Yu Lijun has worked in the clinical front line for nearly 30 years, and has obtained a lot of experience, especially good at prevention, dealing and treatment of various difficult and critical complications of diabetes, as well as the standardized diagnosis and treatment of various endocrine diseases.
Looking back on years of experience of diagnosis and treatment, Yu Lijun pointed out that the treatment of diabetes cannot only rely on doctors, and the best doctor for diabetes patients is themselves.
"Diabetes is a lifelong chronic disease, and people with diabetes care for themselves more than 95 percent of the time, so people with diabetes need to receive ongoing, standardized diabetes education.” Yu Lijun said that many diabetes patients are stable during the hospital, and soon after discharge, the condition recurred. It does not happen occasionally, the reason of which is a lack of self-management awareness.
Yu Lijun said that the self-health management of diabetes patients is very important, only when we help them understand their own status and take effectively self-management, control patients condition well with consciousness of diabetes patients and active cooperation, could we avoid and delay the occurrence and development of chronic complications of diabetes, and reduce the burden of individuals, families and society.
Scientific prevention and treatment is the key
In the process of diabetes prevention and treatment, a scientific and reasonable blood glucose target is particularly important for glycemic control. Yu Lijun stressed that the blood glucose target of each patient should be tailored by doctors according to the individual differences of patients, both to control hyperglycemia and to avoid hypoglycemia as much as possible.
Yu Lijun said that while actively taking hypoglycemic drugs for treatment, patients with diabetes should pay more attention to taking comprehensive management, scientific and all-round blood sugar health management measures in life:
First, we should eat a balanced diet, adhere to the principle of less volume and more meals, reduce the intake of animal fat and cholesterol-rich foods, and the daily caloric intake of diabetes patients should not exceed 10%; Second, we should develop regular habits of daily work and rest and maintain a good state of life; Third, keep physical exercise. Exercise is very helpful to improve the overall blood sugar metabolism disorder, and it is recommended to do much aerobic exercise, such as running, cycling, swimming. However, those with serious conditions should reduce or avoid high-intensity exercise, while patients with heart and kidney diseases should also adjust exercise strategies according to the actual situation of the body; Fourth, develop the habit of blood sugar monitoring at home. Monitoring are as important as treatment and through regular monitoring, patients could monitor their own condition and access guidance on rational use of medication.
In addition, Yu Lijun stressed that diabetes patients should conduct a comprehensive screening of chronic complications every year, so as to get early detection and early treatment, do not go to see a doctor late after there are obvious symptoms and serious complications, treatment effect of serious complications is not very satisfying, and then regret it is too late.
Text from Huang Fei