| Diabetes Support Group at Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center on Thursday, November 18. Dr. Suresh will host an in-depth discussion of insulin. For more information, please contact Barb McKown at 354-9244 ext. 235.
Unbeknown to many, November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Unfortunately, with the guidelines constantly changing, many more Americans are being diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.
What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The specific cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. Currently there are 18.2 million people in the United States diagnosed with diabetes. Even more alarming is that 5.2 million people are unaware that they have the disease. There are four major types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, Pre-diabetes and Gestational diabetes.
For those individuals diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, the beta cells inside the pancreas stop producing insulin. Since insulin is vital to daily survival, these individuals will need to give themselves an insulin shot or be placed on an insulin pump.
Type 2 diabetes, often called non-insulin dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. The cause of Type 2 is more complex than Type 1. In Type 2, individuals may have high levels of insulin yet their cells are resistant to the actions of the hormone. This buildup can lead to serious problems including your cells becoming starved for energy causing dehydration. Also, over time, high blood glucose levels can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart. Treatment options include insulin shots, oral medications, change in lifestyle and regular blood sugar testing.
More physicians are diagnosing patients with the third type of diabetes than they ever have in the past. Pre-diabetes is blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. The good news is that taking preventative steps such as changes in your eating habits and increasing your activity levels, will prevent pre-diabetes from progressing into Type 2 diabetes.
The fourth and less common form of diabetes is Gestational diabetes. Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women in the United States.1 If caught early, there should be no lasting side effects on the mother or her child. However, if gestational diabetes is not treated during the pregnancy this can lead to macrosomia, or "fat" baby. This can lead to a series of problems for the newborn, including damage to their shoulders during birth, low glucose levels and respiratory ailments. These children are at risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
Some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes include being very thirsty all the time, urinating often, feeling very hungry or tired, losing weight without trying, having sores that heal slowly, having dry, itchy skin, losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet and blurry eyesight.
This has been a very brief overview of diabetes. If you believe you have any of these symptoms, please contact your physician and make an appointment. If you would like to learn more about diabetes or have any questions, please feel free to attend the Diabetes Support Group at Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center on Thursday, November 18. Remember, be aware and be healthy!
|
