National Diabetes Awareness Month
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. More than 122 million Americans are living with diabetes, this includes both adults and children. Here are some facts and resources for adults and children.
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What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.
Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar and released into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.
If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it makes as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream.
Types of diabetes
There are three main types of diabetes:
Type 1 - If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas doesn’t make insulin or makes very little insulin. Type 1 diabetes (previously called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults, but it can develop at any age. If a child has type 1 diabetes—especially a young child—parents and caregivers must be involved in diabetes care on a day-to-day basis, from serving healthy foods to giving insulin injections to watching for and treating hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented.
Type 2 - In type 2 diabetes, cells don’t respond normally to insulin; this is called insulin resistance. A a result, the pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Eventually the pancreas can’t keep up, and blood sugar rises. Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people over age 45, but more and more children, teens, and young adults are also developing it. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented, especially with family support and lifestyle changes.
Gestational diabetes - Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy in women who don’t already have diabetes.
Resources
JDRF offers resources and support for children and teens who are living with type 1 diabetes. The organization’s Western and Central Pennsylvania chapter also hosts events and offers support for families.
Penn State Extension’s Better Kid Care program offers two diabetes-focused professional development courses for those who care for children and youth.
· Diabetes Awareness and Management for Young Children
· Supporting Youth with Type 1 Diabetes in Transitioning to Self-Management