Last week my father was admitted to hospital with an infected, gangrenous toe. He is being operated on today - to remove the toe and to open up the blood supply to the foot so that the problem doesn't recur. He has type 2 diabetes - developed late in life and not, as is the usual case, as a result of obesity, but as a result of a strong genetic tendency to the disease. My father will almost certainly be fine - he is coming off a fit base, thanks to being bullied into regular physical activity by me! But many people are not so lucky. In most cases type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease - a disease of lifestyle. It results from the action of body fat on the hormone insulin - insulin is no longer effective in the metabolism of glucose and all the multiple effects of the disease start to ravage the body. My father developed gangrene because the blood supply to his foot is compromised. He didn't realise there was something wrong until the gangrenous toe became infected because diabetes also damages the nerves supplying the foot. It is an insidious disease - eventually damaging all the major organs in the body and is one of the main causes of blindness globally. Everyone should be aware of the symptoms - tiredness, constant thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss. And everyone should also be aware of how to prevent the disease from developing - maintain a healthy body weight, eat sensibly and get plenty of exercise.
Bridget Farham Editor https://www.bizcommunity.com