March is a month of an abundance of awareness . . . March is Red Cross Month, Parasite Prevention Month, National Social Work Month, Women’s History Month, National Nutrition Month, Metal Month, Kidney Cancer Awareness, and Cabaret Month (?)! What we aren’t’ we being made aware of in March . . . oh, March 26th is American Diabetes Association Alert Day!
On March 26, the American Diabetes Association hopes to bring an alert to diabetes that affects over 26 million Americans and 57 million that has pre-diabetes. About seven million people will not be aware that diabetes exists in their own bodies. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “unlike people with type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes produce insulin. However, the insulin produced is either not enough or doesn’t work properly in the body. When there is not enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose (sugar) cannot get into the body’s cells for use as energy. This causes blood glucose to rise. Type 2 diabetes is most common in people over age 40 that are overweight. Some people with type 2 diabetes can manage it by controlling their weight, watching their diets, and exercising regularly. Others might also need to take one or more tablets of an oral glucose-lowering medication or insulin injections to help lower blood glucose levels.” www.clevelandclinic.org
Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor in kidney and heart diseases, blindness, limb amputation and even death. Fox New contributor, Tanya Zuckerbrot, states that “a simple blood test can determine whether or not you have pre-diabetes or type 2. Keep in mind that a healthy lifestyle, consistent exercise routine and weight loss can decrease your risk of developing either one by 60 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Human Health and Services (HHS).” www.foxnews.com
Some of the signs to look for in type 2 diabetes are: (often, people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms at first. They may not have symptoms for many years.) The early symptoms of diabetes may include:
- Bladder, kidney, skin, or other infections that are more frequent or heal slowly
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
The first symptom may also be:
- Blurred vision
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pain or numbness in the feet or hands http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001356/
It is to each of our advantage to heed to the awareness of diabetes and other conditions that may be life-threatening. Prevention and early detection is vital in all diseases of the body, mind, spirit and soul.
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