Getting to Know Diabetes Mellitus

Getting to Know Diabetes Mellitus

Commemorating World Kidney Day March 9, 2023
Friends of Hermina, as we know, based on data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Indonesia has a status of diabetes mellitus (DM) alert because ranks 7th out of 10 countries with the highest number of diabetic patients. The prevalence of patients with DM in Indonesia reaches 6.2 percent, which means that there are more than 19.5 million people suffering from DM as of 2021. With this year's data, 1 in 25 Indonesians or 10 percent of the Indonesian population experiences DM.

On this occasion, the internal medicine specialist at Hermina Balikpapan Hospital, dr. Rentha Monica, SpPD. explained some myths and facts about DM that are often circulated in the community. Because based on basic health research (riskesdas) in 2018, the prevalence rate of DM in Indonesia reaches 10.9 percent which is predicted to continue to increase. Here are 10 myths and facts surrounding DM.

1. DM Must Be Symptomatic
In fact, not all people with DM will complain of symptoms. From statistics, almost 50% of people with DM initially have no symptoms. What we should know, the classic symptoms or complaints of DM include polyuria (lots of urination), polydipsy (drinking a lot, feeling thirsty frequently), polyphagia (eating a lot), and weight loss whose causes cannot be explained. Symptoms or complaints that are not classic or unusual, such as rapid drowsiness, blurred vision, frequent tingling of the legs, or wounds that are difficult to heal. Symptoms of DM can appear after years of diabetes so it is very important to have periodic DM screening.

2. There are two types of DM: Wet Diabetes and Dry Diabetes
In fact, there is no term wet diabetes and dry diabetes. This myth about DM is false and does not reflect the true state of diabetes. This myth may arise due to the condition of the wound in people with DM, which in some people is difficult to heal completely, but in some people it dries out quickly. Wound healing in people with DM is highly dependent on blood sugar control. So there is no term wet diabetes and dry diabetes, but there are indeed several types of diabetes, namely: 

a. Type 1 diabetes mellitus
b. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
c. Pregnancy diabetes (gestational diabetes)
d. Other types of diabetes

3. Wounds Are Hard to Heal, Definitely DM
In the case of people with DM, wounds are difficult to heal because high sugar levels are the preferred environment for bacteria to grow, which results in the wound becoming infected and difficult to heal. But the fact is that DM is not the only trigger for this condition. The healing of a wound goes through several phases, including the coagulation and hemostasis phase, the inflammatory phase, the proliferation phase and the maturation phase. 

4. If a parent has DM, their child must also DM.
Even if your parents are diabetic, the fact is that you don't necessarily experience the same thing. The role of genetics does play an important role in the process of diabetes mellitus, but several factors also play a role such as lifestyle and obesity. If you have a diabetic family member, the risk will be higher than those who do not have a family member with diabetes.

Well, Friends of Hermina, that's the info about myths about diabetes that often circulate in society. Hopefully, this article can add insight to Hermina Friends about myths and facts about DM disease and make us wiser and smarter in preventing and overcoming DM disease.