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

COLOMBO: 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)