Honoring World Diabetes Day!
Did you know that every 8 seconds someone dies from diabetes and that nearly 50% of all diabetes cases are indeed preventable? Yes, yes these are indeed some true indisputable facts about diabetes. Today, the 14th of November, is World Diabetes Day. Do you know your numbers? If not, today is the perfect day to go get checked to see what your results are so that you can be in the know.
Diabetes is a leading cause of many chronic illnesses that people suffer from today; it causes everything from blindness, amputation, heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage and early death. It is a disease to take seriously for the impact on one’s family and life can be quite severe.
Diabetes
Diabetes also, known as diabetes mellitus is a condition that results from abnormal regulation of blood glucose. Simply put, when the blood sugar is elevated consistently it can be a form of diabetes. The body uses blood sugar (glucose) for energy, and it is the pancreas job to produce a hormone called insulin to assist in converting the glucose from the food that one eats into energy to not feel drained or exhausted.
Type I
Type I diabetes results from the inability of the pancreas to secrete insulin, the hormone that allows the cell to take up glucose from the bloodstream. This type of diabetes is known to be an autoimmune disease and in most cases had started in a child at a young age.
Type II
Type 2 diabetes results from the cells decreased ability to respond to insulin. The body also does not make enough insulin. 90% of people with diabetes fall in this category.
Gestational
Women who did not have diabetes before they became pregnant, but then have during pregnancy are known to have gestational diabetes. This form of diabetes if not checked and maintained with a healthy diet and exercise can lead to problems for both the mother and baby during and after the pregnancy. Sometimes, babies are born much larger than average and are born with nerve damage depending on how they were positioned in their mother’s womb.
According to the International Federation of Diabetes, World Diabetes Day is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight. If you are up for it go to https://worlddiabetesday.org/ and take the test and see your level of risk for type II diabetes. Do note, that as one gets older, has a family history of diabetes and gains weight; especially around the waist area, type 2 diabetes can show up in one’s test results.
Food for Thought
Keeping one’s blood sugar levels under control is crucial for preventing some of the above listed complications if one finds out that they do have diabetes. The longer that blood sugar levels remain uncontrolled, the higher the risk of other health problems occurring.
Conclusion
In summation, one or more adults are likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they are age 45+, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight. Physical inactivity and certain health problems such as high blood pressure also affect the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. One is also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they were told they were pre-diabetic or had gestational diabetes during their pregnancy.
Reference
International Diabetes Federation
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes
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