Wetin be diabetes and how pesin fit avoid am?

Diabetes na serious lifelong condition wey dey kill more dan one million pipo every year - and anybody fit get am.

Diabetes dey happun wen di body no fit process all di sugar (glucose) for di bloodstream. Complications from dis condition fit lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputation.

And na growing problem – an estimate of 422 million pipo dey live wit diabetes globally - four times pass as e be 40 years ago, according to di World Health Organisation (WHO).

Despite di risk, half of di pipo wey get diabetes no know say dem get am.

But lifestyle changes fit prevent am in many cases. Dis na how:

Wetin dey cause diabetes?

Wen we eat, our body dey break carbohydrates down into sugars (glucose).

One hormone wey di name na insulin, wey pancreas dey produce, go come instruct our body cells to take in those sugars for energy.

Diabetes dey occur wen di pancreas for our body no dey produce insulin or wen e no dey work properly, and cause sugar to accumulate for our blood.

Types of diabetes?

Several types of diabetes na im dey.

For type 1 diabetes, di pancreas go stop to produce insulin, so glucose go come gada for di bloodstream.

Scientists no know exactly why dis dey happun but dem believe say genetics or result from viral infections wey dey damage insulin-producing cells for di pancreas fit cause am.

About 10 percent of pipo wit diabetes get type 1.

For type 2 diabetes, di pancreas no dey produce enough insulin or di hormone no dey work effectively.

Dis usually dey happun for middle-aged and older pipo, but also for young pipo wey overweight and inactive, plus individuals from certain ethnicities, particularly South Asian.

Some pregnant women fit dey diagnosed wit gestational diabetes wen dia bodies no fit produce enough insulin for dem and dia baby.

Different studies wey use different criteria estimate say anywhere between 6 to 16 percent of pregnant women go develop gestational diabetes. Dem need to control dia sugar levels through diet, physical activity and/or insulin applications to stop am from developing into type 2.

Dem fit also diagnose pipo wit pre-diabetes – dis na increased level of glucose for di blood wey fit lead to diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes?

According to di British National Health Service, type 1 diabetes symptoms dey likely to show early for childhood or adolescence and e dey more serious.

Pipo wey dey more at risk of type 2 na pipo wey dey over 40 years of age (or 25 for south Asian pipo); get parent or sibling wit diabetes; pipo wey dey overweight or obese; and come from South Asian, Chinese, Afro-Caribbean or black African origin.

I fit prevent diabetes?

Diabetes depend on genetic and environmental factors but you fit help keep your blood sugar levels in check wit a healthy diet plus active lifestyle.

Avoid processed sugary food and drinks, and taking white bread and pasta na one good first step.

Refined sugar and refined grains get poor nutrients because dem don remove dia fibrous, vitamin-rich parts. Examples include white flour, white bread, white rice, white pasta, pastries, fizzy/sugary drinks, sweets, and breakfast cereals wit added sugar.

A healthy diet include vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains. E also include healthy oils, nuts and omega-3 rich oily fish, like sardines, salmon and mackerel.

E dey important to eat at regular intervals and to stop to dey eat wen you dey full.

Physical exercise fit also help lower your blood sugar levels. Britain National Health System (NHS) recommend 2.5 hours of aerobic activity a week, which fit include fast walking and climbing stairs.

A healthy weight go make easier for your body to lower your blood sugar level. If you need to lose weight, try to do am slowly, between 0.5 kg and 1 kg a week.

E also dey important not to smoke and to watch your cholesterol levels to lower di risk of heart disease.

Wetin be di complications of diabetes?

High level of sugar for di bloodstream fit seriously damage blood vessels.

If blood no dey flow well for your body e no go reach parts of di body wey need am, and dat go increase di risk of nerve damage (loss of feeling and pain), loss of vision and foot infections.

WHO tok say diabetes na major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputations.

For 2016, diabetes cause about 1.6 million deaths.

How many pipo get diabetes?

According to di WHO, di number of pipo wit diabetes don rise from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.

For 1980, less dan 5% of adults (over 18) get diabetes globally - for 2014, di rate be 8.5%.

Di International Diabetes Federation estimate say nearly 80% of adults wey dey live wit di condition dey for middle and low-income kontris, wia eating habits dey change fast-fast.

For developed kontris, diabetes dey associated wit poverty and di consumption of cheaper, processed foods.