Rotary Club of Salt Lake Metropolitan organised a free eye check-up and diabetes screening camp at JC Park recently. 

The camp was partnered by ILS Hospital and Susrut Eye Foundation and more than 10 per cent of those who came for the tests were discovered to be diabetic. “Many had high blood pressure too. We want to create an awareness about these conditions among residents,” said Dr Aruna Tantia, president of the club.
Besides Tantia, there was gynaecologist Dr Suranjan Chakrabarti and an eye specialist from Susrut Eye Foundation Dr Ankit Srivastava. Together they took the audience through some slides to explain the disease. 
Diabetes, they said, is a condition in which the glucose content in the blood increases. India has an alarmingly high number of diabetics which may even overtake that of China’s, which is the highest in the world. 

There are three types of diabetics:
i) Patients with Type 1 diabetes do not have insulin secretion in their body and hence need to inject insulin throughout their life. 
ii) Patients with Type 2 diabetes produce insulin but not at the optimum level or they do not reach the target cells. 
iii) During pregnancy, one may develop gestational diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes increases the risk of heart diseases and heart attack and when the glucose level in the blood remains high for long, it damages nerves and reduces sensation. This may cause feelings of cold, heat, pain, tingling, fainting and dizziness. “A lot of eye problems are related to diabetes too and so diabetics must go for regular retina check-ups,” said Dr Srivastava. 

The doctors also gave some pointers on diabetes:
Causes: 
Heredity
Obesity
Lack of physical activity
Viral infection that destroys insulin-producing cells
As a side effect of medicines 
Mental stress

Symptoms: 
Increased urination 
Increased appetite
Excessive thirst
Visible weight loss
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Recurrent urine infection
Delayed wound healing
Tingling sensation and numbness of feet

Dietary recommendations:
Besides medicines, insulin, exercise and regular monitoring of one’s sugar levels, diet is of utmost importance. 
Eat less starchy foods (food with less sugar)
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Reduce intake of animal or saturated fat
Reduce salt intake 
A simple way to get it right is to have half the portion on your plate comprised of vegetables, one quarter of carbohydrates and another quarter of proteins and fats.