DIABETES MELLITUS, “MOTHER OF VARIOUS DISEASES”

Diabetes mellitus (or often abbreviated as diabetes) is a disease that is increasingly being found in Indonesia. Apart from genetic factors and an unhealthy lifestyle, the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 until now has also affected the incidence of diabetes. Diabetes is often a comorbid disease that accompanies COVID-19 infection. Diabetes can aggravate the condition of COVID-19 patients, causing various complications, and even eventually causing the patient to die. Not only that, the risk of developing diabetes also increases at least 1.5-2 times after the patient recovers from COVID-19. Therefore, diabetes is a disease that must always be watched out for in the present.

Diabetes mellitus comes from the word "diabetes" which means a lot of urination and "melitus" which means sweet. No wonder this disease is often known by the general public as diabetes. However, diabetes is actually more accurately referred to as a disease characterized by high sugar levels in the blood. These criteria serve as guidelines for doctors to state whether a patient has diabetes or not. However, the examination is not enough to establish the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes alone. Diabetes mellitus is known as the “mother of all diseases”, like a mother who gives birth to many children (in this case, diabetes can cause many other diseases). Complications caused by diabetes are very diverse, ranging from large blood vessel disorders (macrovascular) such as in the heart and brain, small blood vessels (microvascular) such as in the eyes and kidneys, the risk of infection (including tuberculosis and COVID-19), to the risk of cancer. . The effects of diabetes can be felt from the head (infection of the face, cataracts in the eye) to the tips of the feet (nerve disorders such as tingling and numbness, severe infections, and even the risk of amputation). Therefore, doctors expect patients to understand the importance of diagnosing diabetes, willing to follow examination procedures, and routinely undergo the recommended treatment. Thus, it is hoped that the patient can carry out normal daily activities with controlled blood sugar levels and avoid complications that may arise.

The following is a simple abbreviation to remember the important things in diabetes management. Treat high blood sugar (diabetes) with G-U-L-A.

G = consistent healthy lifestyle. Regulating diet and physical activity can prevent the development of pre-diabetes into diabetes. Even in patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes, this healthy lifestyle remains the main pillar in managing their diabetes. So, good diabetes control is not enough just by taking drugs or injections. Healthy eating and healthy exercise are also important to be done consistently and become a daily lifestyle, not just once in a while, to be able to provide optimal results. Consult further with your diet and exercise with the treating doctor.

U = measure blood sugar accurately. Diabetes cannot be diagnosed based solely on symptoms, because it must be confirmed by checking high blood sugar levels. Diabetes often has no specific symptoms, so many people are not aware that they already have diabetes. In fact, often when symptoms arise, it indicates the diabetes has progressed to complications. Therefore, do not wait until there are symptoms. Check your blood sugar if you have risk factors for diabetes, such as age > 45 years, obesity, hypertension, or a family history of diabetes. With the increasing availability of various independent blood sugar measuring devices, many people have tried to find out their condition. However, it should be understood that blood sugar measurements must be carried out accurately with standardized tools and the correct procedure. There are several common tests for diagnosing diabetes, such as fasting blood sugar, current blood sugar, and HbA1c. Ask your doctor for the right blood sugar test procedure according to your condition.

L = do the treatment according to the doctor's instructions. Diabetes is one of the common diseases whose therapy is developing rapidly with increasingly satisfying results. Although until now there has not been found a drug that can eliminate diabetes once and for all, but the drugs that exist today can control blood sugar and even prevent complications. As a result, diabetic patients can live and move like normal people with of course good blood sugar control. Never treat diabetes independently. Diabetes is a complex disease with many causes, comorbidities, and complications. The risks that can occur are blood sugar control that is not optimal, complications that are not resolved, and even various side effects due to inappropriate drug use. Discuss with your doctor to be able to choose the safest and most effective treatment for you.

A = Monitor for comorbidities and complications. It's not enough to target diabetes only at normal blood sugar levels, because diabetes often "brings other friends" (other illnesses) that can interfere with your health, in the form of comorbidities (such as hypertension and cholesterol disorders) or complications (such as heart and kidney disease). If you do not recognize and pay attention to these things, then the results of your diabetes treatment will not be optimal even though blood sugar levels are controlled. Work with your doctor so that your diabetes can be managed thoroughly. The end result that is expected is of course not only normal blood sugar laboratory numbers, but a person with diabetes who can live a good and healthy l

n essence, diabetes mellitus is a systemic disease that often occurs in the community due to lifestyle factors and inappropriate eating patterns and can cause various complications in the sufferer's organs, so that it can have an impact on a person's overall quality of life. Therefore, always pay attention to food intake and the condition of your body. immediately consult a doctor so that it can be treated immediately before it gets worse. To carry out an examination, you can immediately make an appointment with the relevant doctor at the Hermina Pasteur Hospital or book through the "Halo Hermina" application which can be downloaded on the appstore or play store application.

Created by : dr.Yohanes Robertus, Sp.PD