Many people believe that November is the month with absolutely nothing going on except Thanksgiving and putting up Christmas decorations way too early. In all reality, that is not true. November is COPD (breathing problems) Awareness month and Diabetes Awareness month.
Diabetes is defined as “a disease in which the body’s ability to produce or respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates, and elevated levels of glucose in the blood/urine.” There are two types of diabetes, type one, which is when your body doesn’t make enough insulin. This one can be genetic and can be diagnosed through genetic testing. Type one is less common with 1.25 Americans living with it. Type two is when your body can’t process sugar correctly. It is more common in Americans with over 90% of the population having it. Type two is mostly passed through genetics.
One in five Americans live with undiagnosed diabetes. Early on it can be hard to identify but as you continue to go undiagnosed it progressively gets worse. Prediabetes is also commonly misdiagnosed when people do get tested. Prediabetes is a precursor for type two diabetes. Common symptoms of prediabetes are abnormally high blood sugar, while common symptoms for diabetes are frequent urination, blurry vision, and having numb or tingly feet almost consistently. Remember to consult a professional in the medical field if you think you might have diabetes. You can not self-diagnose diabetes. Frequent exercise can help combat your risk of type two diabetes but not type one.
Diabetes can be a life threatening disease if it’s not treated correctly. It affects every part of your body and can lead to blindness or have you lose a limb. Take precautions when overeating and make sure to exercise and keep your blood sugar in check. Diabetes won’t harm if it’s treated correctly.
