Diabetes (high blood sugar) is one of the major diseases affecting both the young and old in Nigeria. Here's my tip on what to do or avoid in other to live a happy life as a diabetic.

Time for a thread

1) Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when an organ in the body (the pancreas) fails to produce enough insulin (type 1) OR when the cells in the body fail to use the insulin produced (type 2)

2) What happens when either of these occurs is, there will be too much sugar (carbohydrate) in the blood. This, in turn, makes the blood a bit thick and the cells in the blood then fail to properly do their jobs.

3) When the cells fail to properly do their jobs it can lead to further conditions such as a risk of infection, poor wound healing, vision problems, body pain, etc.

4) To avoid/prevent these further bad conditions, your doctor will prescribe you some medications if you have type 2 diabetes or some injection that you will self-administer if you have type 1, or both might be given in certain situations as your doctor sees it.

5) Remember, although diabetes is a lifelong condition, you can live a good and normal life if you properly control your blood sugar by taking your medications or your injections. In addition to those, there are some things you should and shouldn't do.

6) Diabetes doesn't mean you have to cut carbs completely. Choose carbohydrates that break down in the body slowly, providing steady energy. Food such as whole grains, beans, nuts, and fresh vegetables and fruits. Yes, you can eat fruit even though it's sweet.

7) Try working out if you have to lose weight, especially if you have type 2 diabetes. Your doctor may have suggested this already – but if you are overweight, shedding just a few kilos can improve the body's ability to use insulin.

8) Monitor your blood sugar level DAILY! Your daily activity can affect how your body uses up glucose/carbs, so you don't want to have low blood sugar due to the medications or shots you take, so keep an eye out for your sugar level.

9) Say bye-bye to salt! Reduce the salt in your diet because it may help lower your blood pressure and protect your kidneys. Remember, among the bad things that can happen to a diabetic is high BP and kidney issues, so why take salt to worsen it?

10) Check your feet every day for blisters, cuts, sores, redness, or swelling. Diabetes raises your risk of infection and slows healing, so treat even simple cuts and scrapes quickly. Also, rub cream (moisturizers) properly to prevent skin cracks.

11) Make sure you see an eye doctor (optometrist) regularly. And endeavour to go for general wellness checks – including kidney function tests.

12) Last but not least, avoid/stop smoking cigarettes or smoking in general (if you do). Keep in mind that people with diabetes who smoke are two times more likely to die prematurely than those who don't. It also prevents the risk of stroke and kidney damage.

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Thank you for reading!