October 3, 2005 Hello! Cases of diabetes are on
the rise. There are 18.2 million people in the United States, or
6.3% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 13
million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.2 million
people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease." With "6.3% of the population" affected, by the time people reach their teenage years they are likely to know someone who has been touched by the disease. A friend? A family member? Even if you don't think that you know anyone with diabetes, you may have a classmate, neighbor, or teacher who has been diagnosed but hasn't shared that information. "Being diagnosed with
diabetes is never easy. You may feel anger, sadness, guilt, fear
... or all of them at the same time. ... Living with diabetes is
a new challenge, for you and for your family, too. You will have
a lot to learn in order to manage your diabetes day to day, and
to care for yourself. Your family, friends, teachers, and other
people What if you find out that you know someone who has been diagnosed with diabetes? What if you are diagnosed? What does that mean? What is diabetes? "Diabetes is a disease
in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin
is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other
food into energy needed for daily life." What about the different types of diabetes? "There are two main
types of diabetes. Type 1 most often appears during childhood or
adolescence. Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity and physical
inactivity, accounts for 90% - 95% of diabetes cases and most often
appears in people older than 40. However, it is now being found
in younger people and is even being diagnosed among children and
teens." Type 1? Type 2? How are they different? "In type 1 diabetes,
the body has little or no insulin because the immune system -- which
normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses -- has attacked and
destroyed the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, a gland located
just behind the stomach. ... Because type 1 diabetes typically appears
in the wake of an infection, the immune attack on insulin-producing
cells may be a consequence of the immune system's reaction to the
earlier infection." "[T]he body has little or no insulin"? What does that mean? "Lack of insulin results
in diabetes because of the vital role insulin plays in making glucose
-- the body's fuel -- And type 2? "With type 2 diabetes,
a person's body still produces insulin. But a person with type 2
diabetes doesn't respond normally to the insulin the body makes.
So glucose is less able to enter the cells and do its job of supplying
energy. When glucose can't enter the cells in this way, doctors
call it insulin resistance. Although there's plenty of insulin in
the person's body, because it doesn't work properly, the pancreas
still detects high blood sugar levels. This makes the pancreas produce
even more insulin." With cases of diabetes on the rise, is there anything that can be done to prevent it? "Type 1 diabetes can't
be prevented. Doctors can't even tell who will get it and who won't.
In type 1 diabetes, a "Type 2 diabetes is
different. Sometimes, you can prevent type 2 diabetes. In type 2
diabetes, the pancreas can still make insulin, but the body doesn't
respond to it in the right way. This problem is usually related
to being overweight. In the past, mainly overweight adults developed
type 2 diabetes. Today, more kids and teens have type 2 diabetes,
probably because more kids and teens are overweight...." Questions of the Week: Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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