November is American Diabetes Month and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is launching a movement to encourage people to confront, fight and stop diabetes. According to the ADA, diabetes has reached epidemic status in the United States. Currently, there are 24 million children and adults suffering with diabetes each day. Additionally, there are 57 million Americans who are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Simply stated, 1 out of 3 children could face diabetes in the future if a change is not made. This is why the ADA is asking people to share their experiences with diabetes to help raise awareness in communities.
According to the ADA,
- There is no cure for diabetes.
- Diabetes is a serious disease. It causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
- Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.
- Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure, blindness and amputations.
- Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and about 6 million of them are unaware of their disease. With obesity on the rise, millions more are at risk of developing diabetes.
Diabetes occurs when the body either fails to make enough insulin (Type 1 diabetes), the body does not properly respond to insulin or both (Type 2 diabetes). Insulin is used to transport sugar (glucose) to the body's cells to be used as energy. Along with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, there is also a condition called, pre-diabetes and gestational diabetes which can occur in women during pregnancy.
Early symptoms of Type 1 diabetes include frequent urination, extreme thirst or dry mouth, weight loss or increased hunger. Some young children who are potty trained may start wetting the bed during naps or at night.
Some symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are excess thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision, fatigue, and recurrent skin and urinary tract infections. Obesity is also risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
With pre-diabetes, individuals have above normal blood glucose levels but the levels have not elevated high enough to be categorized as Type 2 diabetes. Currently, more than 50 million people in the U.S. over age 20 have pre-diabetes. People who are considered pre-diabetic can prevent or delay the onset of the disease. Since obesity is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests losing 5 to 7 percent of body weight to help prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes. This can be accomplished by eating healthier and getting moderate physical activity. Suggested exercise is 150 minutes a week or vigorous physical activity for 75 minutes a week. Lifestyle changes for people at risk for diabetes are important in order to stop the rise of the disease.
It is important to seek medical attention if anyone thinks they may have any of the early symptoms of diabetes. Both pre-diabetes and diabetes are treatable. People with diabetes should focus on controlling blood sugar levels with a healthy diet, regular exercise, oral medications, and insulin when required.
For more information:
Find your healthy Body Mass Index
Comments