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Lu Yongfeng, 45, who lives in Henan, is a toy store owner. He has good economic conditions, and he takes his wife and son out to travel several times a year, and his happy life makes others envious. However, such a peaceful and happy life was finally broken by the cruel reality.
On April 26, 2022, when Lu Yongfeng was working in the store, he suddenly turned pale, broke out in a cold sweat, his head hurt for a while, and his eyes were a little difficult to see. In addition, he felt nauseous and wanted to vomit, and his whole body seemed to be shrouded in a haze. Sensing that something was wrong with his body, Lu Yongfeng went to the hospital as soon as possible.
When he went to the hospital for an examination, it was found that his blood sugar was as high as 15mmol/L, and he was diagnosed with diabetes. The doctor told him that diabetes is a chronic disease. High blood sugar in the body will not only cause a decrease in immunity, but also cause lesions of tiny blood vessels, which will lead to various concurrent diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Common ones are diabetic retinopathy, diabetic foot, etc. His blurred vision is the initial stage of diabetic retinopathy, and if left unchecked, his condition may deteriorate rapidly as the disease progresses further. And because there is no cure with the current level of medical care, he may have to take medication for the rest of his life.
Lu Yongfeng couldn't believe that he would be diagnosed with diabetes at a young age, which only elderly people get, and he would have to take medication for life. The doctor told him that in recent years, the incidence of diabetes due to lifestyle has also increased rapidly, and it is common to eat dietary habits, such as eating pickled foods, high-salt, and high-sugar foods. There are also poor work and rest patterns, often staying up late, and excessive fatigue, which will cause endocrine and metabolic disorders in the body to a certain extent, and then increase the risk of diabetes.
I recall the negligence of my body when I was busy with business all these years. Lu Yongfeng couldn't help but let out a long sigh, the doctor was right, he did have an unhealthy lifestyle. Years of staying up late and excessive fatigue made him suffer from this chronic disease.
However, Lu Yongfeng is still very puzzled, he heard that the typical symptoms of diabetes are "three more and one less", that is, eating more, drinking more, urinating more, and losing weight, but why does he feel that the symptoms are not obvious?
The doctor told him that most of the patients were relatively insidious and had relatively mild symptoms at the beginning of the illness, and more than half of the patients did not even have any symptoms. Clinically, many patients even find abnormalities when they have chronic complications or come to physical examination. "Three more and one less" is already in the late stage of diabetes, and he is still early to find out, if through lifestyle adjustment, combined with medication, the condition can be well controlled.
Lu Yongfeng smiled bitterly, so he was lucky, he found it early, and he could be treated in advance. The doctor prescribed him metformin and other hypoglycemic drugs, and told him to pay attention to dietary adjustment, regular work and rest, avoid staying up late, and come to the hospital regularly for re-examination.
Lu Yongfeng wrote them down one by one, and planned to control his condition from now on. After taking the medicine for a period of time, his discomfort symptoms have been significantly improved, Lu Yongfeng is very happy, and he does not dare to slack off in terms of diet and medication, and takes the medicine on time and on time every day.
On September 18, 2022, when Lu Yongfeng was walking in the community, he suddenly felt dizzy and a little weak. He thought he had a diabetic attack, but he didn't care, thinking that he would take metformin when he went home and strengthen his exercise during this time.
Since then, he has often felt a little flustered, and his memory has deteriorated a lot. What his wife had told him yesterday, he forgot the next day. His wife laughed at him for entering old age ahead of schedule, and his reaction was half a beat slower than his own. Lu Yongfeng thought that it was caused by his lack of sleep these days, and he didn't take this matter to heart.
On November 22, 2022, when Lu Yongfeng got up, he suddenly felt a headache, he raised his hand and touched it, and found that his forehead was hot. In addition, he felt that he had no strength at all, his eyes were blurry, and he was dizzy. Seeing that his face was wrong, his wife recalled his various conditions during this time, suspected that he had a physical problem, and hurriedly sent him to the hospital.
When he went to the hospital for an examination, it was found that Lu Yongfeng had megaloblastic anemia. Megaloblastic anemia is also called folate anemia. Doctors told him it was due to a lack of vitamin B12 in his body. It is usually caused by picky eating or poor cooking methods.
Lu Yongfeng was very strange, how could he have anemia inexplicably? He usually pays special attention to a balanced diet, and there is no problem with the cooking method at all. The doctor looked at his medical records carefully, and his eyes fell on the history of diabetes, so he asked him what kind of hypoglycemic drugs he was taking.
After listening to his words, the doctor instantly understood, and he told Lu Yongfeng that long-term use of metformin may affect the absorption of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is essential for the nervous system and the production of red blood cells. When the body is severely deficient, there may even be serious manifestations such as a decrease in whole blood cells, sensory imbalance in the body, and mental confusion. Therefore, when the following 3 conditions occur in the body, it is necessary to pay attention to them in time.
The first is an abnormal appearance of the skin
When patients develop symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, they tend to have widespread symmetrical pigmentation, usually in the curved parts of the body, as well as on the palms, nails, and mouth. In addition to this, the hair will become gray and the nails will also show symptoms of pigmentation.
The second condition is digestive and hematologic symptoms
In addition to abnormal skin manifestations, it can also cause digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea, loss of appetite, atrophy of the oral mucosa, nausea, bloating, constipation, weight loss, etc. There will be manifestations of anemia in the blood system, such as paleness, general fatigue, hepatosplenomegaly, and even skin petechiae and ecchymosis in severe patients.
The third condition is the appearance of neurological symptoms
Common symptoms of the nervous system include headache, dizziness, neurasthenia, etc., and in severe cases, it can also lead to mood disorders and mental depression. When the disease progresses further, symptoms of mental confusion may appear, manifested as incontinence, insomnia, hallucinations, etc.
In addition, there are abnormalities of the cardiovascular system that affect the normal pumping of blood from the heart, and the lack of vitamin B12 can lead to anemia, so there is a possibility of anemia heart disease and heart failure.
Metformin is a commonly used medication for the treatment of diabetes, but long-term use may affect the absorption of vitamin B12, which can cause various uncomfortable symptoms. Therefore, diabetic patients should regularly monitor the level of vitamin B12 in the body and provide the deficient vitamin B12 through diet or supplements.
For patients who take metformin but do not have related symptoms, they can supplement the vitamin B12 needed by the body in a safe way, such as eating lean meat, legumes, animal liver, seafood, dairy products and other foods. If the body has symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, you can take relevant medications as prescribed. In addition to this, you also need to pay attention to calcium supplementation.
All in all, when taking metformin, you need to pay attention to vitamin B12 supplementation to avoid various adverse reactions in the body. In addition to regularly monitoring the physical condition and supplementing through food supplements, quitting smoking and drinking, avoiding staying up late, and having regular work and rest will also help your health.