Did you know that November is Diabetes Awareness Month? Do you, or someone you know, have diabetes? You probably do. Diabetes affects about 37 million Americans. 20% of these American are undiagnosed and do not know that they have diabetes.
Food you eat changes into glucose, which is a type of sugar. Your body uses glucose for energy. When your sugar level gets high, your body is supposed to produce insulin. When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t produce insulin as it should. This causes too much sugar to remain in your bloodstream, which can cause more serious health problems.
There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is when your body stops producing insulin. There is currently no known prevention and is believed to be genetic. Because your body does not produce insulin, you most likely will have to take insulin for the rest of your life. Type 1 Diabetes can first occur at any age. Type 2 Diabetes is the most common as about 90% of people with diabetes have type 2. With type 2, your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, which makes it difficult to keep sugars at a normal level. Fortunately type 2 can be prevented with a healthy weight, balanced diet, and staying active. Gestational Diabetes affects pregnant women. These cases occur when pregnancy-related body changes don’t allow the body to make enough insulin. This usually goes away once the baby is born but leads to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes for both the mother and the child.
A healthy lifestyle is key to preventing diabetes, or even taking charge of your diabetes. If you use tobacco, it is recommended to quit to help prevent type 2 diabetes. Stay active! Something as small and simple as walking can help reduce your chances of becoming diabetic. Eating right is recommend whether you are preventing or maintaining diabetes. Fruits and vegetables are always recommended. With all of that, you also want to maintain a healthy weight.
For more tips, or if you have any further concerns, talk to your doctor. You can always start with your primary care doctor. They can either help you prevent diabetes, help you maintain diabetes, or refer you to a specialist. They can help look at your personal lifestyle as well as check levels to help guide you.
I am not a medical professional, and I do not have the answers. I know individuals whose lives have been affected by diabetes, so awareness is important. Listed below are links that I’ve used for sources to complete this blog.
Get educated! Ask questions! Take care of yourself!
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