November, the month of Thanksgiving, the month of eating, and the month of diabetes awareness. Diabetes in America is completely out of control. Here at LNE five out of eight students know somebody who has either type one or type two diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association almost 30 million Americans have diabetes, 86 million Americans have prediabetes and that number grows by 1.7 million each year – that’s three people every minute.

To be exact, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.8% of the population, have diabetes and 8.1 million of those people are undiagnosed. With that many people clueless about their disease, things can be potentially dangerous. The first signs of diabetes are mental changes in a person. Having trouble with remembering things and an increase in the amount of confusion one experiences may be signs of undiagnosed diabetes. Other signs of diabetes are things like increased thirst or hunger, and also headaches, fatigue, profuse sweating and clammy skin. Many people in America may not know they have diabetes, and many more probably don’t even know what it is.  

To understand diabetes, one must first understand the role insulin plays in the human body. Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose, or sugars from the body, into cells for them to be used as energy. With diabetes that process doesn’t work too well. Depending on which type of diabetes one has, the results of this may vary.

Type one diabetes is the most severe form of diabetes. In this branch of the disease, the body’s immune system sees its insulin producing cells as foreign objects and treats them as such. The immune system attacks parts of the pancreas, destroying these cells. These cells called islets produce the necessary hormone (insulin) used to unlock cells to allow sugars in. The sugar not being utilized by the cells, builds up in the blood. Over time, this built up blood sugar can damage eyes, kidneys, nerves, and the heart.

Type two diabetes is the most common form. People who suffer from this disease often can produce their own insulin although at times it’s not enough. Sometimes even with their own insulin, the cells still won’t open up for sugar, this is called insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity and therefore treatment for patients focuses on diet and exercise. If the body still doesn’t react, medications can be prescribed to help stop insulin resistance and help the body use its insulin more efficiently.

November is the month of diabetes awareness. Everyone can do their part to prevent and manage diabetes across America. To fight type two diabetes, live a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet and exercising more. Help manage type one diabetes by staying active and consulting with a medical professional regularly. Diabetes in America is out of control, help regain control.