Are You At Risk?

Did you know every 19 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes. In fact, diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined? This proposes many questions. Are you at risk for diabetes? Do you know what symptoms to look for? What actually causes diabetes?

First, are you at risk for diabetes? To find out, click here and take the Diabetes Risk Test. This test will ask you to enter some basic health information. The test will calculate if you’re at risk for Type 2 diabetes. Remember: Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by staying at a healthy weight, eating well, and being active.

Second, what are the symptoms of diabetes? Some common symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination, feeling very thirsty, feeling very hungry (even though you are eating), extreme fatigue,  blurry vision, slow healing of cuts/bruises,  weight loss even though you are eating more (This pertains to Type 1), and tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (This pertains to Type 2). All of the symptoms mentioned above are very typical. However, there are also symptoms that are so mild they go unnoticed. This usually happens if someone has Type 2 because symptoms develop gradually.

Lastly, what causes diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin due to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body’s immune system is attacking and destroying the beta cells. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children and young adults; however it can appear at any age.  At one point, Type 1 diabetes was called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes, which is the most common type, is caused by many factors. One is insulin resistance, which is a condition where the body’s muscle, fat, and liver cells do not used the insulin effectively. Type 2 develops when the body can no longer produce enough insulin to compensate for the impaired ability to use insulin. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in middle-aged and older people who are also overweight or obese. Type 2 used to be rare in youth, but is becoming more common in overweight and obese children and adolescents.

Early detection and treatment can decrease the risk of complications. Help raise awareness, get tested, and stay healthy because Together We Can Stop Diabetes! 

Source: Google Images

What is Diabetes?

Many times the word diabetes is associated with the words sugar and insulin. But what does diabetes really mean? Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce any or enough insulin, which results in elevated levels of glucose in the blood. There are two different types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 Diabetes is when the body does not produce insulin. Type 2 Diabetes is when the body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance.

I’m sure your initial thought is that I must be diabetic, why else would I be so educated and passionate about diabetes. However, that is not the case. When I was seven, my mom was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, meaning she is dependent on insulin to live. For the past 17 years of my life I have watched my mom struggle with this disease.  I have witnessed her sugar level at its highest, and at its lowest, which are both extremely life threatening.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for diabetes.  There have been advancements in treatments and breakthroughs over the years, but no proven cure. Every morning I watch my mom poke her finger to test her blood sugar, and then proceed to inject herself with insulin, then again before dinner. This has become her way of life. My mom is just 1 of 29 billion that battle this disease every day. I am a firm believer that, Together We Can Stop Diabetes!

Meet my Mom, She is my Best Friend, and Biggest Supporter!