Overview
Type 2 diabetes — commonly just called "sugar" — develops when the body stops responding properly to insulin, letting blood glucose climb for years before symptoms show. It is increasingly common in Nigerian adults, driven by weight gain, processed diets and inactivity. Early diagnosis and steady control prevent damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.
Symptoms
- Often none for years
- Excessive thirst and frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Tiredness
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing wounds or frequent boils
- Tingling or numbness in the feet
Causes & risk factors
- Excess body weight, especially around the waist
- Physical inactivity
- Family history of diabetes
- Diet heavy in sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates
- Increasing age; diabetes in a past pregnancy
Treatment & self-care
Management combines healthier eating (more vegetables and whole grains, fewer sugary drinks and refined carbs), regular exercise, weight loss and daily glucose-lowering tablets or insulin chosen by your doctor. Regular checks of blood sugar, blood pressure, eyes, kidneys and feet catch complications early. Treatment is lifelong — "curing" claims from unproven remedies cost people their kidneys and sight.
See a doctor urgently if
- Classic symptoms: thirst, frequent urination, weight loss
- A wound on the foot that is not healing
- Blurred vision or eye changes
- Very high readings, vomiting or confusion — emergency
- You are over 40, overweight, and have never tested your sugar