A medical expert, Dr. Emmanuel Onwordi has noted that simple preventive measures by individuals could go a long way in ensuring healthy living and guide against chronic diseases like Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Cancer, among others.

He said Diabetes for instance is expensive to manage but cheaper to prevent, reiterating that prevention is better than cure.

Onwordi of Resonance Continental, a health centre in Ilorin stated this while delivering a health talk organised by the Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State as part of its 2014 press week celebrations.

He urged journalists and other Nigerians to do regular medical check-up and not wait until they are afflicted with diseases.

He said that people have a lot misconception about diabetes which simply means increase in blood sugar level, adding that the solution does not lie in drugs. According to him, the disease and other chronic ailments could be treated by controlled diet.

"Insulin injection now is N15,000 for a single dose, you need three doses a week which is N45,000. How much do you have in your account to manage diabetes? The most important issue is, it should be prevented from coming," he said.

The symptoms of diabetes, he said, were un-healable sores, excessive water intake, frequent urination, among others, advising that people should always check their sugar level to avoid diabetes.

"Taking water and urinating side by side is a simple sign of an increase in blood sugar level. You should go to a nearby lab and conduct a simple sugar test", he added.

Speaking on high blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension, he explained that the disease is mostly caused by too much of stress, thinking and excessive salt intake.

He also warned against excessive meat intake which he noted causes cholesterol, adding that fish should be eaten more once an individual is over 40 years.

Onwordi also spoke on prostate cancer which he said commonly affects men, attributing it to alcohol consumption, postponement of urine and wearing of tight pants by men.