Experts warn against reliance on social media for treatment

Diabetes patients have been advised against relying on social media to treat the disease. An endocrinologist at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Dr Blessing Ubani, gave the advice during a ‘Jogging for Healthy Living’ event organised by the University of Uyo Women Association (UWA) to mark this year’s World Diabetes Day 2021. The […]

Diabetes patients have been advised against relying on social media to treat the disease.

An endocrinologist at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Dr Blessing Ubani, gave the advice during a ‘Jogging for Healthy Living’ event organised by the University of Uyo Women Association (UWA) to mark this year’s World Diabetes Day 2021.

The theme of this year’s commemoration is ‘Access to Diabetics Care’.

Dr Ubani, who is also a lecturer at the Department of Medicine, University of Uyo, said some diabetic patients have died for using information from social media to treat the disease.

She said there was no cure for diabetes, and it can only be managed.

The expert said the inability of the body to manage glucose well as a result of lack of insulin was responsible for diabetes, adding that it was dangerous for glucose to stay in the blood as it could form harmful complexes that could destroy virtual organs.

She said, “Globally, we mark the World Diabetes Day to celebrate achievements in diabetics, to celebrate people that have done so well in diabetics, to also advocate for political will and resources to help people living with diabetics. 

“In this era of the internet, we can easily go to the internet and access a lot of information but the important thing is to filter the information and know the ones that are facts and the ones that are myths because anybody can just post anything on the internet.

“From my personal experience, I have had a lot of patients that have lost their lives just because of what they got from the internet. Recently, I lost a 65-year-old woman that lost her life because she got information on the internet and used it, and it cost her life. 

“Her life cannot be gotten back. The person who posted that information has gone free because nobody knows who posted it,” she said.

She explained that type 2 diabetes was the most worrisome as it forms about 95 per cent of diabetes cases, saying it is most prevalent among middle age and old people. 

She said diabetes can be managed with exercise, diet, tablets or with insulin, noting that the treatment methods were specific to each patient. 

The president, UNIUYO Women Association (UWA), Mrs Uduakabasi Ndaeyo, said the programme was planned to create an avenue for the women and management of the institution to take time out of their busy schedule to exercise. 

“Exercise is part of good health. When we exercise, we have good health and for us women, we want the university community to stay healthy. 

“In their own private life, they may not exercise but when we call upon them, they will come and exercise; that is why we normally do it quarterly, to exercise for a sound mind,” she said. 

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Nyaudoh Ndaey, commended UWA for the exercise and urged the participants to regularly check their blood pressure and sugar level as well as exercise for a healthy body. 

“We have been informed and educated that after we exercise, as we have done, we should eat things like ice cream and birthday cake with moderation. 

“There is need for us to continue to check our BP and the level of sugar in our system. We know the value of exercise, and we will continue to do our best to support what you are doing,”he said.