Diabetes and You

Article submitted by Direct Diabetes Supply. Call Direct Diabetes Supply for your testing supplies. Regular testing results in better control and management. 480-998-5551 or 1-888-880-8378.

Diabetes has exploded in the United States. There are 20.8 million people in the U.S. who have diabetes. Each day over 4,000 are diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure. It is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States. Over 20% of the U. S. population who are over the age of 65 has diabetes.

Diabetes is caused when your pancreas does not produce insulin or the insulin is not used properly. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy. Type 1 (formerly called Juvenile Diabetes) is an auto-immune disease in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin. Type 2, the most common type, is a metabolic disorder resulting from your body's inability to make enough or efficiently use insulin. This results in a high "blood glucose" level. This continual high level of blood sugar is what will lead to symptoms of diabetes.

Are you at risk? You have an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes if you are over 45 years old, have a family history of diabetes, overweight, do not exercise regularly, have low HDL (good) cholesterol or high triglycerides. Approximately half of all new diabetes diagnosis now is coming from people older than 55 years of age.

What are some of the warning signs? For Type 1 diabetes watch for frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, extreme fatigue or irritability. For Type 2 look for all of the signs of Type 1 and/or frequent infections, blurred vision, cuts or bruises that are slow to heal, tingling or numbing in the hands or feet, or recurring skin, gum or bladder infections. If you are over the age of 45, pay particular attention to these signs and report them to your physician.

It is the patient's responsibility to understand his or her own illness. Learn to best control your own blood glucose through a regular monitoring program. With your physician set goals to better control your blood glucose. The key to living a healthier life is maintaining your blood glucose levels as close to the normal range as possible for as long as possible.