National Diabetes Month

     November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across
the country team up to bring attention to diabetes. This blue circle is the
universal symbol for diabetes, it was introduced in 2006 to give diabetes a
common identity for people to recognize. There are dierent types of diabetes
and dierent causes and symptoms.
     

      First there is Diabetes type 1, type 1 diabetes can occur at any age and
in people of every race, shape, and size. For this type, the body does not
produce insulin. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood
glucose(blood sugar) that it uses for energy. Insulin is a hormone that the
body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body.
With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, people with type 1
diabetes can manage their condition and live long, healthy lives.
     

          Next, there is Diabetes type 2, which is the most common form of
diabetes, and this type means that your body does not use insulin properly.
The most ecient way of maintaining type 2 diabetes is by eating a healthy
diet. Not everybody who has this type of diabetes will have the same “ healthy
diet”, it will dier on the person. Fitness is another key part in managing type 2
diabetes, the key is to find activities you love and do them as often as you can.
     

      Another type is Gestational Diabetes, which can be a scary diagnosis if you
are told you have this type, but like the other form you are able to manage it.
Gestational diabetes occurs only to people who are pregnant, it doesn't
mean that they had it before they conceived or that they will have it after
birth.

      Although research does not show what causes diabetes during
pregnancy , it happens to millions of women. We do know that the placenta
supports the baby as it grows. Sometimes, these hormones also block the
action of the mother’s insulin to her body and it causes a problem called
insulin resistance. This insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother’s body
to use insulin, and this means that the mother may need up to three times as
much insulin to compensate.
       

     These symptoms of diabetes are typical. However, some people with
diabetes have symptoms so mild that they go unnoticed.Common symptoms
of diabetes are : Urinating frequently, weight loss-even though you are eating
more(Type 1 ), Tingling,pain, or numbness(type 2), Extreme fatigue, or blurry
vision.

     Early detection and treatment can decrease the risk of developing the
complications of diabetes. Although there are many similarities between type
1 and type 2 diabetes, the cause of each is dierent too, and the treatment is
usually dierent too. Some people, especially adults who are newly diagnosed
with type 1 diabetes, may have symptoms similar to type 2 diabetes and this
overlap between types can be confusing.