WORLD DIABETES DAY & A COMMON MAN
| Contributed by MBBS .MD World diabetes day is observed every year on 14th November. According to WHO website “This year’s theme, ‘access to diabetes education’, underpins the larger multi-year theme of- access to care”. I am not an endocrinologist so I will just talk in terms of what education means to a commoner like my family, friends and neighbors. Education in itself is a broad concept. Education to protect tomorrow means lot to me like following 1= Many chronic conditions like diabetes make patients depressed, treating their emotional issues will reduce stress and much better control of their blood sugars levels. There are number of ways to reduce stress, be it meditation, reading spiritual books or doing charity of good deeds and actions. Stress reduction is must and cannot be compromised.
2= Education means to know even with diabetes one can achieve everything in life, we need to know about successful persons or celebrities, we watch movies and must know Sonam Kapoor was diagnosed with diabetes at age of 17, Kamal Hassan , Sudha chandran versatile dancer all diagnosed with diabetes, there are many local unsung heroes in each state who are successful and inspire others and last not the least personalities like Wasim Akram- who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes but still had a successful career as a cricketer. Look at the grace he accepted diabetes, and started using insulin, and had such a successful tenure as a cricketer; a marvelous athlete who endured 2 decades of cricket, including 5 days test matches in hot and humid conditions. His mental and physical health is a testimony to his humility in accepting diabetes, and following doctors advice instead listening to advice of chemists or knowledge based on Google search. 3=Most of us when diagnosed even with diabetes say “Why me! Did I deserve this? I prayed. I never took junk food! Look at that person. He drinks. He smokes. He is overweight.” This simply means two things. I am challenging decisions of God. Secondly, and more importantly, we remain in a denial and are not able to follow what doctor prescribes. Accepting diagnosis of diabetes is important and not accepting will lead to people searching for miracle cures or cures not supported by any scientific evidence. 4= We all must be reading articles today and in past too about prevalence of diabetes in Jammu Kashmir. So what lessons we get from these surveys? Firstly If possible schools, colleges and university must do yearly screening of students for diabetes, as well as awareness programs and secondly if there is family history of diabetes, thyroid or obesity in family, we must not wait for colleges or schools and ourselves do these screening tests. To conclude Prevention and early diagnosis hold key for a better tomorrow Author can be mailed at arifmaghribi@yahoo.com View in browser :The Health Guide |
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