Managing Diabetes - A Touch Away, Supported By One Touch
Managing Diabetes - A Touch Away, Supported By One Touch
  • Home/
  • Diabetes: Key Facts To Know About Insulin If You Are Living With Diabetes

Diabetes: Key Facts To Know About Insulin If You Are Living With Diabetes

Diabetes: Key Facts To Know About Insulin If You Are Living With Diabetes
It is crucial for people living with diabetes to maintain healthy blood sugar levels

Highlights

  1. Type-2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes
  2. Diabetes is a rapidly growing global public health concern
  3. Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of several health conditions

Diabetes is a rapidly growing global public health concern, with patient numbers quadrupling over the past three decades. In India alone, a huge number of people live with diabetes out of which many understand the importance of insulin therapy and depend on it. Diabetes is one of the most common contributors for increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney diseases and more. It is therefore of utmost importance to create awareness about Diabetes and debunk myths around insulin therapy.

Here are some of the key facts that a person living with diabetes should be aware of:

1. Insulin treatment is not painful:

There are assumptions and scare around injectable insulins that they cause tremendous pain. However, most people are surprised by how little an insulin injection hurts. Moreover, with newer advancements, insulin can be administered using insulin pens and insulin pumps through subcutaneous route. Insulin pens are easy to carry and simpler to administer. The short and thin needle makes the process of therapy relatively painless.

2. Insulin deficiency causes diabetes:

The common misconception with diabetes is that it is a 'sugar' problem, which is incorrect. Diabetes is an insulin problem. When there is too much glucose in the bloodstream, insulin signals the body to store the excess in the liver. The stored glucose isn't released until blood glucose levels decrease, such as between meals or when your body is stressed or needs an extra boost of energy. Insulin helps to reduce microvascular complications that affect many organs, notably kidneys, eyes, and nerves and macrovascular complications like heart attack, stroke & peripheral vascular diseases & also death.

4. Insulin is NOT the last resort:

One of the most common myths among diabetes patients is that insulin is the last resort in treatment of the disease. People think that once they start insulin, there is no place of being independent, travel or live alone. None of these is true. In fact, people who have adopted insulin, have seen their lives change for better. Insulin is a safe and efficacious way to lower blood glucose levels and manage diabetes in a more efficient way.

Insulin therapy is important for keeping blood sugar level within the target range. It may also help prevent associated complications by regulating. Insulin treatment has evolved significantly over the decades, and with each advancement, we are getting closer to achieving a natural insulin response. Most importantly, these advancements have helped people living with diabetes overcome some of the inconveniences that come with treating and living with diabetes. Over the last 100 years since its discovery, Insulin has brought a paradigm shift in diabetes treatment leading to better outcomes and improved quality of life for people with diabetes.

(Dr Manoj Chadha is a consultant endocrinologist at P D Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre in Mumbai and founder, Hope & Care)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Share this story on

Videos

Show More

Managing Diabetes - A Touch Away

Managing Diabetes - A Touch Away

According to the 9th edition of the Diabetes Atlas by the International Diabetes Foundation, 1 in 6 people with Diabetes in the world are from India.

With an estimated 77 million people with Diabetes, India is number two in the world after China (116 million) in terms of the most number of diabetics in the world.

Given the epidemic proportions and the spread of the disease, it is important to know not just about prevention measures but also how a diabetic can effectively manage the disease.

The NDTV campaign, Managing Diabetes - A Touch Away, supported by One Touch aims to highlight the importance of regular and meaningful monitoring of blood glucose at home in addition to lifestyle changes and medication in managing Diabetes