Since 1975, November has been the month when the world comes together to raise awareness about the often misunderstood epidemic of diabetes. Doctors explain the science of diabetes, but celebrities like Nick Jonas have begun speaking out about what life as a diabetic is like. This blog will explain what diabetes is and how patients manage the chronic health condition in Southwest Louisiana.

Diabetes is Common

I’m sure you know at least one person who lives with diabetes. Because, in the U.S., nearly 1 in 10 patients have diabetes. There are two types of diabetes, and most Americans living with the condition (95%) have type 2 diabetes, which means that they were likely diagnosed with diabetes as an adult. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 34 million patients live with diabetes in America. Of these patients, 1.6 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, and nearly 200,000 of those with type 1 diabetes are young people.

More alarming than those figures is the fact that nearly 1 in 3 American adults have prediabetes, and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes if changes are not made to their lifestyle and diet. If we are to prevent type 2 diabetes and better help patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes manage this condition, we need to learn more about what diabetes does to the body:

• Diabetes is a chronic health condition that develops when the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin are impaired. When insulin production is impaired, the body is unable to properly digest carbohydrates, which leads to elevated blood sugar levels.  Blood sugar, or “glucose,” is the necessary energy the body needs to fuel its tissues and organs. But if blood sugar is not balanced and too much builds in the bloodstream, then organs like the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nervous system can be damaged.

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that is usually diagnosed in childhood. With this condition, a person’s immune system destroys the cells within their pancreas that produce insulin. This means their body cannot make insulin to regulate blood sugar.

• Type 2 diabetes usually begins in adulthood; however, more and more children are receiving diagnoses. This condition is caused both by our genes—or those medical conditions we are predisposed to inherit—and our lifestyle. Lifestyle factors that contribute to diabetes include diet, physical activity, environment, obesity, and so forth. People with type 2 diabetes still produce insulin, but their body isn’t able to use that insulin properly.

• Prediabetes develops in patients with raised blood sugar levels. Prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes if blood sugar is not managed. Those at risk for prediabetes include individuals who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and are physically inactive.

• Gestational diabetes is a condition diagnosed during pregnancy that is like type 2 diabetes, in that the body does not properly use insulin. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy.

Diabetes is Personal