November is National Diabetes Month, with World Diabetes Day recognized on November 14th. 2021 is the centennial anniversary of when insulin started to be used in diabetic care. While the medication has been around for 100 years, officials at the International Diabetes Federation say that many are still far from having access to the care they need.

Throughout the month of November, many organizations’ key messages are pushing for everyone to have access to fundamental components of diabetic care. This includes things like access to insulin, education, psychological support, and self-monitoring equipment and supplies.

World Diabetes Day organization officials are encouraging individuals to organize educational events in schools and communities, and to light up local landmarks, homes and workplaces in blue to show support.

What is Diabetes and Prediabetes?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1 in 3 U.S. adults have prediabetes and most don’t know they have it, and 1 in 2 adults with diabetes remain undiagnosed, with the majority having type 2 diabetes.

There are two different types of diabetes. Type 1 is when your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes is when your cells don’t respond normally to insulin, also called insulin resistance. When that happens, your pancreas starts to make more insulin to get cells to respond but eventually, it can’t keep up.

Diabetes symptoms can include:

  • Urinating frequently, especially at night
  • Being thirsty or hungry often
  • Weight loss without trying
  • Having blurry vision
  • Having numb or tingling hands or feet
  • Feeling very tired
  • Having very dry skin
  • Having sores that heal slowly
  • Having more infections than usual

Prediabetes is the precursor of type 2 diabetes, so the symptoms are very similar. In the prediabetes stage, blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can be controlled and prevented by lifestyle changes. There are multiple risk factors of prediabetes to be aware of, some that you may not be able to control. Some risk factors are:

  • Being overweight
  • Being 45 years old or older
  • Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes
  • Being physically active less than three times a week
  • Having diabetes during pregnancy
  • Being Black, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander
  • Having polycystic ovary syndrome

What You Can Do at Home for Yourself And Family 

First, it’s time to assess your risk. You can utilize online tests to see if you may fall into the category of having prediabetes. There are many ways to prevent and take precautions to avoid prediabetes and type 2 diabetes as well. Those steps don’t have to be large either, you can start with small steps to gradually change your daily habits.

Try to add more daily physical activity into your routine with the goal of 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. Start adding more healthy foods into your diet to create more balanced meals. Drink water instead of sweet drinks. Keep up to date with vaccines to stay safe, you are more likely to get very sick with comorbidities like diabetes. Lastly, find support.

Reach out to Prowers Medical Center Clinic today to have your risk factors checked out. You can schedule an appointment by calling 719-336-6767.