About one in 9 people in the United States have diabetes, and for those over 18, this number climbs to 1 in 7 having diabetes. However, many are unaware or uninformed about what diabetes is, how to know if they have diabetes, and what someone with diabetes can and cannot do.<\/p>\n
Mary Beth Sherwood, RDN, CDCES, is a registered dietitian nutritionist at MultiCare Rockwood Clinic specializing in diabetes and endocrinology (the study of glands and hormones). Here, Sherwood provides an overview of what you need to know about diabetes.<\/p>\n
The most common diabetes types, and their impact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are:<\/p>\n
There are other less common types of diabetes, and in recent years a few more have been identified.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are lab tests that your doctor can give you to determine what type of diabetes you have,\u201d says Sherwood. \u201cThe type of diabetes you have determines how your medical team treats your diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n
At this point, Type 1 diabetes is not preventable; it is an autoimmune disease where the body\u2019s own immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, the hormone that controls sugar levels in your blood. Someone with Type 1 diabetes has to take insulin in order to live. Emerging research is looking at more screening efforts for those who may have genetic predisposition and the development of therapies that may delay and, in the future, prevent the onset.<\/p>\n
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body either does not produce enough insulin or fails to properly use the insulin it makes. While in many cases, this condition can be preventable, a person\u2019s ethnicity and genes may also influence their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This is why even if someone does not eat healthily, does not exercise or has a higher body weight, they may not go on to develop Type 2 diabetes. It is important to foster healthy habits and maintain a healthy body weight to avoid lifestyle-driven diseases like Type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur current food environment makes the added risk of weight gain and diabetes much more likely,” says Sherwood.\u00a0 “The high availability of high fat and high refined carbohydrate foods, including sweetened beverages and alcohol, and limited fiber contributes to the tendency to develop insulin resistance, thus prediabetes or diabetes.\u00a0 Eating a balanced, high fiber, less calorically dense diet and exercising or being active as much as you can helps prevent lifestyle-driven diseases like Type 2 diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other important lifestyle considerations include stress management, getting adequate sleep and avoiding smoking. It’s estimated that smoking increases the risk for Type 2 diabetes by 30 to 40 percent, compared to that of a non-smoker. For people with diabetes, smoking increases cardiovascular risks, such as heart attack and stroke, as well as other complications such as vision loss, or damage to the kidneys or nerves.<\/p>\n
Gestational diabetes happens only during pregnancy. Having gestational diabetes puts a person at higher risk for Type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it is also important to maintain healthy weight and lifestyle habits post-pregnancy \u2014 even if you did not have diabetes before you were pregnant.<\/p>\n
If your medical provider has diagnosed you with prediabetes, or impaired fasting glucose, this means your blood sugar is higher than normal yet not high enough to be considered diabetes yet. You can help prevent the progression of this condition to Type 2 diabetes through healthy weight management and lifestyle choices.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have Type 2 diabetes, often there are no symptoms,\u201d says Sherwood.<\/p>\n
Therefore, it is important to schedule preventive health care visits with your provider on a regular basis, and these visits should include screening for diabetes.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommon symptoms we hear when we see someone at our clinic with newly diagnosed diabetes are fatigue, increased hunger or poor wound healing,\u201d says Sherwood. \u201cOther symptoms are blurred vision, increased thirst and urination and memory loss or brain fog. Every part of our body is affected by high blood sugar. The most common symptom we hear though is \u2018Nothing. I didn\u2019t even know I had diabetes until my doctor told me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Diabetes educators, now often as known as Certified diabetes care and education specialists (CDCES), are health care providers who help patients better manage diabetes. With so much information about diabetes available on the internet, it can be difficult to find trustworthy, relevant sources. A CDCES can help tailor information to your specific needs and help you continue along your health journey safely and effectively.<\/p>\n
Myth<\/strong>: If you have someone in your family with diabetes, that means you can\u2019t do anything to avoid getting it too.<\/p>\n Fact<\/strong>: This is not true, and it\u2019s why there is more focus now on diabetes prevention, testing and lifestyle interventions.<\/p>\n Myth<\/strong>: Once you have Type 2 diabetes, you must take insulin. If you are told you need insulin, it is your fault; insulin is a \u201cdeath sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n Fact<\/strong>: Insulin is not something to fear; it is a hormone your pancreas makes naturally. Sometimes your body may not make enough insulin or the insulin it makes cannot keep blood sugar levels in check. As we age, we make less of our own insulin, and sometimes diabetes can speed this process up as the pancreas has been working harder over time due to the insulin resistance. A healthful lifestyle can minimize the added workload on your pancreas, but oftentimes, a decline in function over time is unavoidable. As a result, people with Type 2 diabetes may need to take insulin in addition to or in place of other diabetes medications. Insulin is still the most direct, powerful medication we have for lowering blood sugar levels that are too high.<\/p>\n Myth<\/strong>: If I take medication for my diabetes, I can forget about it.<\/p>\n Fact<\/strong>: Lifestyle choices are a very important part of successful diabetes management. Following healthy lifestyle recommendations and taking medications as prescribed can help you avoid serious diabetes-related health complications. In addition to being active and maintaining a healthy weight, those recommendations include finding ways to relieve stress, getting regular checkups and moderating alcohol intake.<\/p>\n Myth<\/strong>: If I have diabetes, I can\u2019t have any foods I like.<\/p>\n Fact<\/strong>: The saying \u201ceverything in moderation\u201d may be something you have heard time and time again. It also applies to food when it comes to diabetes. There are no good or bad foods, but some foods are better for blood sugar regulation than others. It is helpful to keep most of your food choices healthy, and then occasionally have treats here and there. Portioning matters, especially when it comes to the carbohydrates (sugars, starches and fiber) in your diet, even the healthier ones.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned about your health or wondering if you have diabetes, contact your doctor or other health care provider. While diabetes-related information abounds both online and in print, your provider will be able to diagnose and treat you specifically.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":" About one in 9 people in the United States have diabetes, and for those over 18, this number climbs to 1 in 7 having diabetes. However, many are unaware or uninformed about what diabetes is, how to know if they have diabetes, and what someone with diabetes can and cannot do. Mary Beth Sherwood, RDN, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":331,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-primary-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n