Dr Stanley Ogbonna, a Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, has advised that children that frequently bedwet should be made to undergo medical examination for diabetes.“Polyuria, which is the passage of excess urine and part of the symptoms of diabetes, might be responsible for the bed-wetting.
“If the bed-wetting happens once in a while, it is normal but if it occurs every day or every other day, then it should be investigated,” said Ogbonna, who is the Secretary, Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Abia.
He said that World Diabetes Day, which is marked on Nov. 14 every year, is a day set aside by the United Nations in collaboration with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to raise awareness on the disease.
Ogbonna said the theme for this year’s celebration, “Diabetes and the Family”, with the sub-theme, “Diabetes : protect your family”, underscored the role of the family in preventing the scourge. He advised people to engage in at least 30-minute regular exercise and eat healthy diets to avoid diabetes.
“When family members know the signs and symptoms of diabetes, it will be easy for them to detect when a particular person probably has diabetes,” he said.
Ogbonna said that the diabetes pandemic was getting worse in middle and low income countries, including Nigeria, because of increasing urbanisation and Westernised lifestyle.
Quoting the report by IDF, he said that diabetes was responsible for four million deaths globally in 2017. He, therefore, urged early detection, adding that diabetes left untreated or unmanaged, could lead to life-changing complications such as amputation, blindness, kidney failure, heart attack and stroke.
Source: Dailytimes
