National Diabetes Month
By Tabitha Ervin
FWIS Editorial Director
Info from Diabetes.org
November is National Diabetes Awareness month, a time when communities across the country seek to bring attention to diabetes. This year's focus is on taking action to prevent diabetes health problems. “Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.
More than 1 in 3 adults in the United States have prediabetes — and many of them don’t know it. National Diabetes Month is a time to raise awareness about diabetes as an important public health issue and encourage people to take charge of their health.
When I was in middle school, we took care of my grandmother (my moms mom) and she had diabetes. I remember my mom and dad giving her insulin and watching what she was eating. At the time medicine wasn’t as advanced as it is now with the auto insulin pumps and other innovative options people have. She was in her seventies and I’m not sure how long she had it before she passed. Many of us may have these stories about older relatives as we were growing up.
I want to provide some tips and information so that people have an awareness of all of the information when it comes to Diabetes. .
First some of the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes can be:
• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Bed-wetting in children who previously didn’t wet the bed while asleep
• Extreme hunger
• Unintended weight loss
• Irritability and other mood changes
• Fatigue and weakness
• Blurred vision
• Dry mouth
• Slow-healing cuts
Monitoring your blood sugar can also help to keep track of what is going on in your system. Blood sugar levels that are higher or lower than the normal range can be a sign. The A1C test can be used to diagnose diabetes or help you know how your treatment plan is working by giving you a picture of your average blood glucose (blood sugar) over the past two to three months.
It is wise to seek a doctor or diabetes care team which can include an Endocrinologist to help guide the journey for children and adults alike.
If someone in your family has had Type 1 Diabetes, you may be 15 times more likely to get it. Family history for diabetes is a significant risk factor.
Nearly one in two Americans has diabetes or prediabetes.
In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood glucose (blood sugar) that it uses for energy—and insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes—and it means that your body doesn’t use insulin properly. And while some people can control their blood glucose levels with healthy eating and exercise, others may need medication or insulin to help manage it.
Although there are many similarities between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the cause of each is very different. And the treatment is usually quite different, too. Some people, especially adults who are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, may have symptoms similar to type 2 diabetes and this overlap between types can be confusing.
Women can also get gestational diabetes and often have no symptoms, which is why it's important for at-risk women to be tested at the proper time during pregnancy. As the placenta supports the baby as it grows, sometimes hormones block the action of the mother’s insulin to her body and it causes a problem called insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes can also start when the mother’s body is not able to make and use all the insulin it needs for pregnancy.
In people with type 1 diabetes, the onset of symptoms can be very sudden, while in type 2 diabetes, they tend to come about more gradually, and sometimes there are no signs at all.
Symptoms sometimes occur after a viral illness. In some cases, a person may reach the point of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) before a type 1 diagnosis is made. DKA occurs when blood glucose (blood sugar) is dangerously high and the body can't get nutrients into the cells because of the absence of insulin. The body then breaks down muscle and fat for energy, causing an accumulation of ketones in the blood and urine. Symptoms of DKA include a fruity odor on the breath, heavy, taxed breathing and vomiting. If left untreated, DKA can result in stupor, unconsciousness, and even death.
People who have symptoms—of type 1 or of DKA—should contact their health care provider immediately for an accurate diagnosis. Keep in mind that these symptoms could signal other problems, too.
Some people with type 1 have a "honeymoon" period, a brief remission of symptoms while the pancreas is still secreting some insulin. The honeymoon phase usually occurs after someone has started taking insulin. A honeymoon can last as little as a week or even up to a year. But it’s important to know that the absence of symptoms doesn't mean the diabetes is gone. The pancreas will eventually be unable to secrete insulin, and, if untreated, the symptoms will return.
Trick Diabetes with These Tips:
• Stay Calm and Move On -Diabetes management and the demands the routines of daily life can become stressful.
• Live and Laugh Laughter feels good and studies reveal it has true healing power.
• Learn the Real Deal About Fiber
• Keep Up With Friends.
• Coffee or Tea or moderation
• Bold and Tasty Cinnamon also in moderation may help control blood sugar
• Learning From Portion Plates
• The Delicious Mediterranean Diet with Diabetes
If you or your family need more information, call your doctor and get tested!
