Insulin myths make it difficult to control diabetes



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Mexico

Insulin is the most powerful treatment currently available for the treatment of diabetes but despite this, many patients still refuse to use it for myths regarding This hormone which makes it difficult to control the disease, said today a specialist at Efe.

"Many people fear to use insulin because they believe that this can make them blind, they believe they only use it." serious or simply afraid of injections, "said Ana Segundo, a graduate in nutrition from the Metropolitan Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM).

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), there are 62 million among people with this disease, of which about 12 million are Mexicans.

The agency estimates that by 2040, this number will reach 109 million diabetics in the region.

About 25% of patients who use insulin adhere to treatment.

Insulin, explained the specialist, is a hormone that occurs naturally "and that helps maintain a normal glucose level in our body".

He adds that the food converted to glucose and that it enters the body's cells needs insulin which, under normal conditions, is produced by the pancreas.

But in diabetes, the body is not Ana Segundo, master's degree in education with a specialization in management and direction from the University of the Valley of Mexico (UVM).

There are cases in which this situation can be controlled with oral medications, but most patients should be controlled with injectable insulin.

"Unfortunately, some myths have caused people to be wary of insulin and therefore do not sufficiently control insulin.He explained that this had led to a saturation of health services, but the more disturbing is that it causes acute complications, micro and macrovascular in the eyes, nerves and brain.

It should be done quickly to avoid long-term complications such as blindness, kidney damage, diseases cardiac problems, neuropathy and amputations, "she said.

The expert, who is part of the Becton Dickinson Society, said that it had been shown that patients who, since the diagnosis, have better control and a better life expectancy after five years.

"That's why it's important for patients to achieve their control goals in the first six months – glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin are the right ones," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of ending myths.

"To say that diabetes will blind us is not true, because it only happens when you have very high blood glucose levels and you damage the cells of the eyes, you can lose your sight , He said.

He stressed that it was important that diabetics know that insulin was not always applied. Is painful.

"The good new is that devices with very short needles already exist, up to 6 millimeters for syringes and for 4-millimeter pen-type devices, with different technologies that make injection more comfortable and comfortable. practically imperceptible, "he said.

It is recommended to keep it in the refrigerator five minutes before application, at room temperature to prevent the cold from causing a burn.

same way, it is important to vary the areas of the body where it is applied. "It can be put on the arm, leg, abdomen, bad. In addition to changing the needle with each application, you will avoid as much pain. "

Finally, Segundo emphasized the importance of adherence to treatment, in addition to maintaining a healthy diet and constant physical activity.

" We can not live without insulin, it's a treatment that should not happen, that lasts a lifetime, it's a hormone that helps us live and a good diabetes treatment helps us to have a good quality of life, "he concluded.

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