Millions of people in the US are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. The body breaks down most of our food into glucose (sugar) and releases it into the bloodstream. When your blood sugar increases, it alerts your pancreas to release insulin. Diabetes is a result of either not being able to produce enough insulin or not as well as it should.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes:
- Urinating often at night
- Losing weight without trying
- Presence of ketones in the urine
- Blurry vision
- Slow-healing sores
- Excessive thirst and hunger
Diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, problems with feet (check them every day), chronic kidney disease, nerve damage, and diabetes-related ketoacidosis (life-threatening). Diabetes is the number one cause of lower limb amputation, kidney failure, and adult blindness.
Type 1 diabetes was once most commonly seen in children, teens, and young adults, but now it’s seen at any age. Once was considered insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes, this form of diabetes is caused by autoimmune disease, in which your immune system attacks the body instead of protecting it.
Risk factors:
- Family history of type 1
- Age
Type 2 diabetes is often seen in people over age 45, but more children, teens, and young adults are diagnosed with it as time goes on. This type of diabetes doesn’t make insulin and can’t keep blood sugars at normal levels.
Risk Factors:
- Prediabetes
- Family history
- Physically inactive less than 3 times a week
- Race – African American, Hispanic, or Latino, American Indian, or Alaska Native.
Other forms of diabetes are gestational and prediabetes. Gestational is seen during pregnancy and is usually resolved after the baby is born. Prediabetes is high blood sugar, but not high enough to have type 2 diabetes. Without intervention, it will likely develop into type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is determined by a simple blood test:
- A1C measures blood sugar level from the last 2-3 months.
- A fasting blood sugar test measures your blood sugar after not eating anything overnight.
- Glucose tolerance test measures blood sugar after drinking a liquid that contains glucose.
- Random blood sugar test measures your blood sugar at the time you are tested.
Managing your diabetes:
- Insulin (type 1)
- Monitoring your blood sugar (glucose) level
- Exercising
- Healthy eating
- Healthy weight
Although diabetes is manageable, it is a life-threatening disease. Therefore, it is important to monitor blood sugar levels, develop healthy eating habits, attend regular doctor visits, and adhere to your medication regimen.
Remember: Too much sugar can have you in a Not So Sweet situation.