Every November signifies the start of Diabetes Awareness Month. This month-long observance honors the Nov. 14 birthday of Dr. Frederick Bantling, who discovered insulin in 1921. Diabetes Awareness Month allows communities across the country to spread awareness of diabetes and how it is actively affecting people of all ages. Join The Paisano in recognizing Diabetes Awareness Month and how you can educate yourself on all forms of diabetes.
What is diabetes?
According to the CDC, diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how the human body turns food into energy. There are multiple forms of diabetes, but each type involves the body being unable to properly produce or react to insulin, a vital hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in a person’s blood. Without proper treatment, this can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, vision loss, kidney failure, strokes and lower limb amputation, to name a few.
Not only is diabetes the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S., but more than 37 million people have it, with one in five of them being unaware they do. The dangers of diabetes are not confined to how they nationally affect individuals, as diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in San Antonio, with one in five adults reported to have diabetes. By learning the different types of diabetes and their corresponding signs and symptoms, you can help in the fight towards better awareness and prevention of diabetes for future generations.
Type 1
Type 1 diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune condition that causes a person’s immune system to attack and destroy cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. This happens for unknown reasons and there is currently no cure. Although it is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, type 1 can develop at any age. Common signs and symptoms of type 1 include excessive thirst and hunger, frequent urination, fatigue or blurry vision.
Type 2
Representing between 90% to 95% of all diabetes cases, type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. This occurs when a person’s body does not make enough insulin or their body does not respond to the insulin being produced by their pancreas. Type 2 is most prevalent in adults but can affect children as well. The symptoms of type 2 overlap with type 1, but it usually takes longer to diagnose type 2, as a person is likely to feel more symptoms upon diagnosis.
Gestational
This form of diabetes develops during pregnancy in women who do not already have diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs when the human body is unable to produce enough insulin during pregnancy. Pregnancy can cause a person’s body to undergo significant changes, such as increased hormone production. These changes can sometimes result in the body’s cells inefficiently using insulin and eventually developing into a condition called insulin resistance. Although insulin resistance occurs for all pregnant women toward the end of their pregnancy, some women develop insulin resistance earlier than others. When this occurs earlier, the chances of gestational diabetes are much higher. In the U.S., 2% to 10% of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes does not have any symptoms.
The City of San Antonio will be hosting its third annual diabetes health fair from 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 15 at West End Park. The fair aims to provide support and education as it encourages individuals to learn how to make lifestyle changes and prevent diabetes. For more information on diabetes and how San Antonio is recognizing Diabetes Awareness Month, visit diabeteshelpsa.com/.
