American Diabetes Month
November is American Diabetes Month
Diabetes is a health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. November is National Diabetes Awareness Month—the perfect time to learn about diabetes, how to prevent it, and how to manage it if you or a loved one is affected.
What is diabetes?
Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body's cells for use as energy. Diabetes happens when your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should.
Without insulin working the right way, sugar builds up in your blood, which can lead to serious health problems over time such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
There are 3 types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes: Your body doesn’t make insulin or makes very little insulin. Without insulin, blood sugar builds up in your bloodstream. It’s usually diagnosed in children or young adults but can happen at any age. Currently, you can’t prevent it.
Type 2 diabetes: Your body doesn’t use insulin well. This is the most common type and you can often prevent or delay it with lifestyle choices. You will often develop symptoms over many years and they can go on for a long time without you noticing them.
Gestational diabetes: This can happen during pregnancy and usually goes away after the baby is born. It increases your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes later.
How can you prevent diabetes?
While Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented, Type 2 diabetes often can. Here are some simple steps to lower your chances:
Learn if you might have prediabetes: by taking a 1-minute risk quiz
Stay active: Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.
Eat healthy foods: Choose whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins.
Maintain a healthy weight: Losing even a small amount of weight can make a big difference in preventing or delaying diabetes.
Get regular checkups: Ask your doctor to check your blood sugar levels, especially if you have a higher chance of developing diabetes.
Take care of your health if you have diabetes
If you already have diabetes, managing it is important to stay healthy. This includes:
Checking your blood sugar regularly.
Eating balanced meals and watching portion sizes.
Taking medicine exactly how your doctor tells you to.
Staying active and keeping stress low.
Why awareness matters
Diabetes can lead to serious complications like heart disease, kidney damage, and vision loss if it’s not managed. By raising awareness, we can help people recognize the signs of diabetes early, prevent it, and live healthier lives.
Act this month!
Use National Diabetes Awareness Month as a reminder to take care of your health. Share what you learn with family and friends and encourage them to get screened. Small changes today can lead to a healthier future!
For more information, visit trusted resources like the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org) or talk to your doctor.