When was the last time you had your blood sugar checked? November is Diabetes Awareness Month. I have been a Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic for more than 39 years. It has taken me the last 39 years of a rocky and crazy life to learn that diet and exercise are the two keys to staying healthy.Six facts about diabetes in the United States from the American Diabetes Association:
- One in 11 Americans have diabetes today (2016).
- Every 23 seconds, someone in the United States is diagnosed with diabetes.
- Eighty-six million Americans today are at risk for diabetes
- Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. It kills more than HIV/AIDS and breast cancer combined.
- Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations and adult-onset blindness.
- More than 20 percent of health care spending is for people diagnosed with diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease ó a disorder in which the pancreas can no longer produce insulin. It used to be called juvenile diabetes, and is sometimes referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. There is no cure. If you have it, you must take insulin to survive.With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can produce insulin, but it may not be enough. Some people produce insulin, but the body doesnít use it effectively. Some, but not all people with type 2 diabetes need to take insulin. Most of the time, the disease can be successfully managed with treatment and healthy lifestyle choices. Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1 diabetes. In 2012, 29.1 million people were diagnosed with diabetes (2.1 million with type 1, 18.9 million type 2) and 8.1 million were undiagnosed diabetics. Pre-diabetes involves higher-than-normal blood glucose levels, but not high enough to qualify as diabetes. Pre-diabetes puts you at risk for type 2 diabetes. In many cases, changes in diet and exercise can delay or prevent onset of the disease.People who have one or more of the following risk factors should talk to their doctor about getting their blood sugar tested:
- Being overweight
- Being 45 years or older
- Having a family history of type 2 diabetes
- Being physically active less than three times a week
- History of gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than nine pounds
If you have diabetes or are considered pre-diabetic, you need to ensure you are seeing an endocrinologist once a year and an internal medicine doctor twice a year. If your doctor doesnít educate you on a true diabetic healthy eating plan, find one who does. Proper diet and exercise is a must to keep blood sugars under control and prevent diabetic complications.Symptoms of diabetes will vary from person to person. The early stages of diabetes have few symptoms, but damage could already be happening to your eyes, your kidneys and your cardiovascular system even before you notice symptoms. If there is a family history of diabetes, start now having yearly blood work. Common symptoms include the following:
- Extreme hunger
- Extreme thirst
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue or drowsiness
- Blurry vision
- Slow-healing wounds, sores or bruises
- Dry, itchy skin
- Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
- Frequent or recurring skin, gum, bladder or vaginal yeast infections
People who have type 2 diabetes may also show signs of insulin resistance, such as darkening skin around the neck or in the armpits, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, yeast infections and skipped or absent periods in teen girls and women.
Healthy lifestyle = eating a healthy diet + getting 30 minutes a day of exercise (two to three days of strength, same with cardio) and seven days of walking (10,000 steps goal) + drinking 64 ounces of water + six to eight hours of sleep.Jenni Mathews is the owner of Curves in Falcon. She can be reached at 719-494-2000.
