November is American Diabetes Month

This month, those with Diabetes or who love someone that does, come together to bring awareness to the diabetes epidemic and to make a difference.

Millions are at risk and it’s time to get educated and gather resources to make sure everyone around us is aware of their risks too. Until there is a cure, we need to support and lift each other up!

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.

When you eat, the food is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into your bloodstream. The cells do this using a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (an organ near the stomach). Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.

If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it makes as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin, or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.

Signs and Symptoms:

• increased hunger
• increased thirst
• weight loss
• frequent urination
• blurred vision
• extreme fatigue
• irritability
• slow-healing wounds, sores, or bruises
• frequent or recurring skin, gum, bladder, or vaginal yeast infections

What is the Cause of Diabetes?

Type 1

In type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin. The immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas which make insulin. There’s no way to prevent type 1 diabetes. Doctors don't know all the things that can cause it, but they know that your genes play a role.

Type 2

When you eat, your body changes most of the food you digest into glucose. A hormone called insulin allows glucose to enter all the cells of your body. There it is used for energy. Insulin is produced by the pancreas. In someone who has type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, or the body’s cells can’t use insulin properly (called insulin resistance). This causes glucose to build up in your blood instead of moving into the cells. Too much glucose in the blood can lead to serious health problems that damage the blood vessels, nerves, heart, eyes, and kidneys.

What Are the Risks?

The American Diabetes Association has a simple 60-second risk test that will help you determine if you should talk to your doctor about testing.

Type 1 Diabetes

• Family history.
• You can be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at any age, but typically it develops at a young age.

Type 2 Diabetes

• Prediabetes.
• Age: 45 years or older.
• Physically inactive.
• Family history of a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes.
• Diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes means that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet crossing the threshold of a diabetes diagnosis.

If your doctor has already told you that you have prediabetes, without making some healthy changes, you have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Those with prediabetes are at a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke and would most likely develop diabetes within 10 years.

Is There a Cure?

There is no cure for neither type 1 nor type 2 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes can live long, happy lives with proper care and disease management. As new drug-delivery methods emerge, they give people the freedom to choose which treatment options work best with their particular circumstances. Lifestyle changes can sometimes achieve remission in type 2 diabetes.

How is Diabetes Diagnosed?

• Fasting blood sugar test. This test is usually done in the morning, after an 8-hour fast (not eating or drinking anything except water for 8 hours before the test). The blood test involves inserting a small needle into a vein in your arm to draw The blood is sent to a lab for testing. If your blood sugar level is 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher, your doctor will probably want to repeat the test. A blood sugar level of 126 milligrams per deciliter or higher on 2 occasions indicates diabetes. A blood sugar level of 100 to 125 mg/dL suggests you have prediabetes. A blood sugar level of less than 99 mg/dL is normal.

• Oral glucose tolerance test. During this test, you will drink 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water. Two hours later, a doctor or nurse will measure the amount of glucose in your blood. A blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes.

• Random blood sugar test. This test measures the level of glucose in your blood at any time of day. It doesn’t matter when you last ate. Combined with symptoms of diabetes, a blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes.

• A1C blood test. This test provides information about a person’s average levels of blood glucose over the previous 3 months. The results are reported as a percentage. A normal A1C level is below 5.7%. If your A1C is higher than that, it means your blood sugar has been higher than normal. A test result between 5.7% and 6.4% indicates prediabetes. A result of 6.5% or above indicates diabetes.

Whether you are looking to change your eating habits, or just need some new ideas, check out our blog post, “Creative Ways to Eat Vegetables.” Food can be fun and delicious!

If you need to schedule an appointment and you don’t currently have healthcare, head over to our solution. It’s an alternative to insurance that fosters community and is pretty easy on the wallet.