Health experts at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar advised diabetics to take more precautionary measures and measures to protect themselves against the emerging corona virus (COFED-19), in a statement posted on the Foundation's website.
In this context, Professor Abdel-Badi Abu Samra, Head of the National Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Diseases and Head of the Internal Department at Hamad Medical Corporation, called on diabetic patients in the State of Qatar not to be concerned, but at the same time additional preventive measures must be taken to combat the spread of the Corona virus and protect themselves from The risk of infection.
Abu Samra said - in the aforementioned statement - that those with chronic diseases, especially those with diabetes, whose immunity is less than healthy people, therefore they must take more precautions and preventive measures to protect themselves from infection, especially maintaining personal hygiene, such as washing hands with soap continuously and not sharing with others In food dishes, drink cups, towels, napkins and personal tools, and avoid contact with people who have symptoms of respiratory disease, and "we recommend that they rush to seek health care if they feel sick."
He added that the Corona virus (Covid-19) "is transmitted, like all other viruses that attack the respiratory system, from an infected person to another in the form of a spray when he sneezes, coughs or speaks, especially if he is near him at a distance of less than one or two meters, and can also be transmitted by Close contact with the affected person, as it is transmitted by the person touching the contaminated surfaces through air droplets and then touching his nose or mouth, and for this reason we stress the need to maintain cleanliness of hands and caution in contact with others.
following instructions
The professor stressed the necessity to follow the diabetic patient’s instructions to the medical team supervising his treatment, and to make sure to prepare a list of the drugs he takes and the dosages for them, and in case he suffers from type 1 diabetes, he must maintain sufficient quantities of glucagon medicine and ketone strips, in addition to sufficient amounts of insulin For a period of two weeks, to ensure his readiness and availability of these drugs in the event that he is not able to obtain them due to illness.
Abu Samra, a diabetic who is exposed to episodes of acute hypoglycaemia, is advised to take the initiative to measure his blood sugar as soon as he feels any symptoms, and if his blood sugar level is low, he should eat a cup of fruit juice or three cubes of sugar.
He also advised the diabetic patient not to hesitate to contact his doctor to inquire about any of the diabetes issues, especially if he felt any uncommon symptoms, and to contact the treating doctor if he had a blood sugar test reading of more than 300 mg / dl (after two consecutive checks during a two-hour period To eight hours), or if there are ketones in the urine, or he feels unusual drowsiness or finds it difficult to breathe, feels confused and not clear in thinking, has diarrhea, suffers from infection or infections, or has vision problems Or speech or physical balance.
Professor Abu Samra concluded his speech by saying, "Most diabetics know how to take care of themselves when exposed to health problems, but if they have any questions, they should refer them to the medical team supervising their treatment, especially if they are ill and require a change in diabetes medication medication, as well as They should inquire about the types of medications they can take if they catch the flu or a viral infection. "
Metabolic disease
Diabetes is a metabolic disease caused by insulin hormone deficiency or poor natural response from the cells of the body to insulin that enters sugar in the blood (glucose) into the cells, and in both cases the result is the same, as the levels of glucose in the blood rise above the normal limit, and this leads to negative effects On the body sooner and later.
Insulin is a hormone made by beta cells in the pancreas, which secretes insulin into the bloodstream after eating, in response to high blood sugar.
Glucose forms the energy that the food that a person eats turns into, and is excreted in the blood and taken into the body's cells and burned to produce the energy needed for its vital processes. To do this, she needs an insulin hormone that causes glucose to move from the bloodstream to the cells.
And the higher the level of glucose in the blood, the pancreas produced a greater amount of insulin to reduce it, but if it decreased, the pancreas reduces or stops insulin secretion, and the body in return produces four other hormones to raise its level in the blood: glucagon, cortisol, adrenaline and growth hormone, which causes the liver to release glucose To the bloodstream.
In normal conditions, the body maintains a level of glucose in the blood with a range between 70 and 120 milligrams per deciliter, through a mechanism that ensures maintaining its level even if a person fasts for a long time from food, or (conversely) eating a large amount of it; while in diabetes mellitus, glucose rises Above normal.
Types of diabetes:
1- Type 1 diabetes
It is also called insulin-dependent diabetes, and juvenile diabetes. It is an autoimmune disease, as the body's immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas, which gradually reduces the amounts of pancreas secreted from insulin.
2- Type 2 diabetes
It is called the non-insulin dependent diabetes and adult diabetes. In it, the sensitivity of the cells to insulin decreases, that is, the degree of the body’s response to it decreases, and it is called the “insulin resistance”.
3- Gestational diabetes
It is also called gestational diabetes, and high levels of glucose in the blood in some pregnant women, and usually returns to its normal level after birth. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future.