Diabetes Health Fair Set for Friday

(ZIZ News)– Activities for World Diabetes Week continued today with free screenings at Independence Square.

Public Relations Officer for the St. Kitts Diabetes Association, Dr. Reginald O’loughlin said their goal is to get as much information as possible to the persons who need it.

“We know that Diabetes is a serious problem, not only locally but worldwide with over 380 million Diabetics in the whole world who are trying to stay away from some of the complications,” he revealed adding that his organisation wants to disseminate the necessary “to make diabetics more conscious of what they need to do on a regular basis.”

He added that there is no pain associated with Diabetes, a disease which causes some sufferers to slacken on the lifestyle changes necessary to maintain good health.

“So when one goes to the doctor, clinic, or whichever health facility you go to, and they get that information, that initial diagnosis, there’s an initial scare of course and they rush out and start doing most and many things for the first few weeks but because there is no pain to remind them that ‘hey your sugar may be high, you gotta do something’ people tend to lapse and get back into their old bad habits,” Dr. O’loughlin stated.

He also reminded persons that if high blood sugar is not controlled, complications may set in quietly and without warning.

Events such as Friday’s Health Fair “aim to arm persons with the information to make them aware of what is needed to control their blood sugar,” he concluded.