Within the framework of the Health Awareness Summer Program, organized by the MOH Media Information and Health Awareness Center, the center has interviewed Dr. Safeyah Al-Sherbini, an endocrinologist and diabetes consultant, to receive people's inquiries put forward through the center's toll-free number (8002494444), and the MOH's account on Twitter (@saudiMOH).
The most significant questions had to do with stem cell therapy; whether it can, or cannot, be used in the treatment of diabetes. Dr. Safeyeah pointed out that this issue is still subject to medical research. “But on the whole,” she explained, “such treatment of diabetes could by injecting the stem cell into the diabetic patient's body, so as to be converted to beta cells, able to produce insulin.” Besides, she advised diabetics to avoid taking any medications unless prescribed by the doctor, because most drugs and medicines have certain side effects. Only simple medicines, like Panadol, could be taken without consultation.
On the other hand, speaking of the shudder, yellowness of the face and heavy respiration diabetics suffer from in cases in low blood sugar, Dr. Safeyah made clear that such symptoms could be attributed to some neurological problem. They could be brought about, also, by a hormone in the body with an opposite effect to insulin, according to Dr. Safeyah. In response to a question of whether it is scientifically right that diabetes could be brought about by an emotional shock, Dr. Safeyah expounded that an emotional sock, in itself, could not be the reason for the incidence of diabetes. Rather, she explained, people who are very likely to have diabetes, discover it in cases of emotional shocks.
Dr. Safeyah went on to say that there's a correlation between the high blood sugar and the use of cortisone. Cortisone raises the level of blood sugar, and, if used for a long time, may lead to the incidence of diabetes.
Moving on to the reasons for the loss of weight for diabetics suffering from high-blood-sugar, Dr. Safeyah attributed this symptom to the frequent urination and dehydration, beside the body cannot make good use of blood sugar in metabolism.
As for the children's symptoms of diabetes, Dr. Safeyah enumerated a number of symptoms: frequent urination, thirst and fatigue. The most important of all reasons triggering the incidence children's diabetes (Type I) is the damage and atrophy of the cells producing insulin.