Future Diabetes Management & Covid 19
Diabetes has become one of the major epidemics of the time. It is one of the primary causes of various infections in the body, including kidney failure, cardiac arrest, eye health deterioration leading to blindness, and infarction around the globe. As of now, no permanent cure has been found for the disease, but better medication and treatments have shown effects in reducing and even diminishing the symptoms of diabetes on the body’s overall health.
However, the prevalence of a pandemic in the past couple of years has shown greater health risk to patients suffering from other health conditions, with diabetes and blood pressure being the significant role players. Let us dwell deeper into the discussion of diabetes management and the impact of Covid-19 in it.
Diabetes and Covid 19: Considerations and Implications
With the spread of the coronavirus, one of the most critical aspects studied during the time is how people with diabetes can manage during this time of the pandemic. The virus is prone to make the complications related to the disease more severe, so it is essential to consider how glycaemic control can be done in such a situation.
As of the data collected till now, it is clear that people who have diabetes, if not controlled well, can have more disastrous symptoms leading to a higher death rate among them. One of the conditions associated with Coronavirus has been Long Covid. As the name suggests, in this condition, the symptoms related to the virus may linger upon the infected person for a longer duration. This can be harmful for patients, especially those who suffer from diabetes. The virus during this time can exaggerate muscle fatigue which is a common symptom of the condition. It can also cause microvascular dysfunction leading to organ damage in people with diabetes.
So, it is still prudent for people with diabetes to take extra care to avoid any such circumstances.
Another reason why covid-19 is a serious threat for diabetic patients is because of inflammation. Diabetes causes inflammation in various parts of the body of a person. And inflammation enhances the severity of the infection caused due to the virus and makes the person a potential target to rigorous symptoms of the disease.
Data Based on Studies Linking Diabetes Management and Covid-19
- People on diabetic medications also face a severe risk for pneumonia due to the infection. Otherwise, because they concur the highest level of most covid-19, indicating biomarkers.
- The diabetic treatment that a person undergoes reduces the cell-mediated immunity, which can become one of the primary reasons for causing death in a person if they incur the infection due to the virus. This is why diabetic patients require more intensive care for the treatment of the virus.
- The various symptoms of the infection, including fatigue, fever, dyspnoea, and cough, were quite severe in patients with diabetes. Other health conditions, including coronary heart disease, chronic kidney infection, hypertension, etc. was also hyped due to the virus entering a diabetic body.
- People who had diabetes also required an external supply of oxygen through ventilation to ensure that they could survive the infection. All in all, hospitalization became a must for them if they had similar symptoms and uncontrolled diabetes.
Even though the future of diabetes management looks promising with so many advancements in medical science and technology, it is hard to say if there is one at the moment. Till professionals find a cure to reverse diabetes permanently, it is important for people with severe health conditions to take extra care of their health. One of the major concerns for diabetic patients should be getting vaccinated because vaccination has been shown to combat the health concerns related to the virus efficiently.
The Bottom Line
Diabetes has become one of the most common conditions in people worldwide. Not just adults, but a major portion of the youth population also suffer from diabetes. Due to its rising impact on the global population, it has been considered one of the biggest epidemics globally. Certain treatments help suppress the symptoms of diabetes and make sure that it does not take a toll on your physical health aggressively.
But with the pandemic on the horizon, diabetes management gets tricky because it requires dual attention. So, make sure that if you are a diabetic or have someone in your life who is a diabetic, they take care of themselves more than regular people. Until the brewing studies come up with a holy grain cure for diabetes management, these small steps of care and precautions can stop covid-19 from having severe, unmanageable effects on diabetic patients.
If you want to make sure that as a diabetic, your health remains intact, we have something in store for you. Now you can manage your diabetic health right from the comfort of your home. All you have to do is download the Diahome application on your smartphone, and you will have access to a remarkable service in the same genre. You can get in touch with a professional nutritionist who can help you with a healthy diet keeping in mind your diabetic condition. They also have the facility of providing you with a blood sugar check right from your home. The sample is collected from your home, and the result is sent to you on your phone. Isn’t that easy? You can also get at home consultations from professionals right on your smartphone without having to go out during the pandemic.
Author: Sripriya Ravi, MSc,M.Phil,MS, Dietitian/ Diabetes Educator, Diahome