The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Thursday, marked the 2013 world diabetes day in grand style as the Medical Centre of the Institution organised a public lecture titled Diabetes: Protect our future, and conducted free blood sugar and blood pressure screening for members of the University community and the general public.
Giving an overview of diabetes, the Ag. Director of the UNN Medical Centre, Dr. Augustine Onwurah described diabetes as a disease caused by excessive sugar in the body. He outlined some of the causes of the diseases to include: wrong administration of drugs as prescribed by unqualified physicians, inadequate production of insulin, stress, among others.
Dr Onwurah urged the general public to always watch out for common symptoms of diabetes, which according to him included; frequent urinating, excessive taste for water, excessive hunger and increased appetite, poor healing wounds especially on the foot and erectile dysfunction.
He therefore advised people to live a healthy lifestyle by eating and drinking very little to keep the brain, functioning, doing regular exercise, undertaking regular medical check-up and avoiding smoking.
The Assistant Director, Nutrition and Dietetics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Mary Jane Umeh, urged diabetes patients to eat foods that contain high carbohydrates, high fibre and low fat. She further advised diabetic patient to eat wheat with caution as that may increase their blood pressures. However, she said that wheat would be fit for their consumption if eaten with vegetable.
A consultant Physician in UNTH, Dr Emmanuel Ejim added that genetic predisposition, obesity and other endocrine abnormalities are responsible for many cases of diabetes
He said that type-two diabetic patients experience recurrent abortions and inter uterine deaths, maintaining that people under the category suffer obesity and do not experience most of the noticeable symptoms of the disease.
He urged diabetic patients to abstain from foods that contain refined sugar, eat enough vegetasbles, always inspect their feet and treat their wounds and cuts properly.
The president, Nutri-Solution, Mr Chukwuka Oluebube, explained that World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes mellitus in the world and is held on November 14 of each year. According to him, the campaign was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world
Further, he said that while the campaign lasts the whole year, 14th November marks the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1922”.
At the end of event, people were examined on random blood sugar level and blood pressure level.
Source: www.unn.edu.ng