November: National Diabetes Awareness Month
This month is National Diabetes Awareness month. Being aware about diabetes is important because it can lead to complications such as blindness, kidney failure, etc. About one third of all people with diabetes do not know they have the disease. As of 2013, it was estimated that over 382 million throughout the world had diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body's ability to produce any or enough insulin, causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood. Diabetes is a life long(chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood.
Type 1 Diabetes
Patients with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections for the rest of their life. They must ensure proper blood glucose levels by carrying out regular blood glucose tests. They will also have to follow a special diet and exercise.
Type 2 Diabetes
People with type two diabetes may be able to control it by loosing weight, following a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, and by monitoring their blood glucose levels. However, the longer that you have type 2 diabetes, it gradually gets worse and one will end up taking insulin.
What is the difference between type 1 and type 2?
In type 1 diabetes, the body produces little to no insulin. In people with type 1 diabetes, the beta cells have been destroyed and they need insulin shots to use glucose for meals. Type 2, the body does not produce enough insulin for proper function, or the cells are insulin resistant( where the boys does not react to the insulin).
What is insulin& about it
Insulin is a harmony that is needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin is stored inside the pancreas. Inside the pancreas, beta cells make the hormone insulin. With each meal, beta cells release insulin to help the body use or store the blood glucose it gets from food. Insulin must be taken in the form of an injection. The reason insulin cannot be taken as a pill is because it would be broken down during digestion just like the protein in food. It must be injected into the fat of your skin for it to get into your blood. There are different types of insulin depending on how quickly they work, when they peak, and how long they last.
Symptoms
The most common diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, extreme thirst and hunger, weight gain, unusual weight loss, fatigue, cuts and bruises that do not heal, and numbness and tingling in hands and feet. If you are experiencing several of these symptoms I would invite you to see your healthcare provider.
In conclusion, all though diabetes is not preventable( it is hereditary) you can lower your risk by maintaining a healthy weight, eat healthy, and be active. However, if you do get diabetes you can still live a normal life just like everyone else around you. At North Sevier High School, there are four students with diabetes who are still living a normal life. It can be challenging to live with and difficult at first, but it is possible.
By Kymbrie Baxter
Picture provided by: http://www.lchdhealthcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Diabetes.jpg