Fishing on the Net

By Bonnie Nelson

National Diabetes Awareness month
With all the knowledge we have, it is an amazing fact that 6.2 million people in the United States are unaware that they have diabetes.  There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have the disease, and it is estimated that 14.6 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes (http://www.diabetes.org/about-diabetes.jsp). 
Ninety to ninety-five percent of all people diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 affects the body’s ability to use the insulin that is produced. Food breaks down into a sugar known as glucose. It is then released into the blood where it is carried to cells inside the body. Insulin is made by the pancreas to help cells use the glucose from the blood.
Type 1 diabetes is a completely different disease than Type 2. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists believe that it may be a virus that triggers the immune system that attacks the cells and permanently destroys them. The pancreas can no longer make the insulin that transports sugar from the blood into the other cells of the body for energy. The sugar then builds up in the blood and over time can damage internal organs and blood vessels (http://diabetes.about.com/od/whatisdiabetes/ p/whatisdiabetes.htm).
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes.  Some diabetes symptoms include:
* Frequent urination
* Excessive thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Unusual weight loss
* Increased fatigue
* Irritability
* Blurry vision
What risk factors are associated with Type 2 diabetes?
* Having a family member with diabetes
* Being of Alaska Native, American Indian, African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander descent
* Blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher, or a diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure)
* Having HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) below 35 mg/dL, or triglyceride levels above 250 mg/dL
* Sedentary lifestyle
* History of cardiovascular disease

It is important that if you have any of the above signs or risk factors, you immediately contact your doctor.  Diabetes can be controlled!
Bonnie Nelson is a freelance writer living in Fountain. If you have any comments or questions, email her at waltbon@comcast.net

CONTACT THE WRITER • WALTBON@COMCAST.nET

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