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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SFA chapter.

 

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month in the United States, so, in honor of this, here is a list of things to look for, a short explanation of each type, and what you can do to help the millions of Americans that suffer from this disease!

Photo courtesy of the American Diabetes Association

  • What to Look Out For
  1. Frequent urination
  2. Extreme thirst
  3. Extreme hunger, even when you’re eating regularly
  4. Extreme fatigue
  5. Blurry vision
  6. Injuries like cuts and bruises that take a long time to heal
  7. Weight loss, even though you’re eating regularly or maybe even more than normal (type 1)
  8. Tingling, pain, numbness in the hands and/or feet on a regular basis (type 2) 

Photo by: LaShauna Bell

  • What’s the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?
  1. What is Type 1 diabetes?

Many people think that type 1 diabetes is only something that affects children, but that’s actually not necessarily true. This type is where the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down carbs into blood sugar for energy, and insulin is something that helps transport the blood sugar from the bloodstream to the cells. Because of this, the most common treatment is injecting insulin into the body. 

  1. What is Type 2 diabetes?

Contrary to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes occurs when your body does not use the insulin it produces correctly, which is called insulin resistance. Because of this, the pancreas produces extra insulin. Over time, however, the pancreas isn’t able to keep up, so it stops producing the amount of insulin needed to keep blood sugar levels normal. 

  • What You Can Do to Help

According to the American Diabetes Association, every 23 seconds another person is diagnosed with diabetes – meaning that almost 30 million people suffer from it in the country – and causes more deaths than AIDS and breast cancer combined annually. You can help by becoming a donor through the American Diabetes Association () or participate in various fundraisers that organizations and schools participate in in order to raise money for the ADA. Contrary to popular belief, being overweight and eating a bunch of sugary foods is not the only cause of diabetes; the disease can be genetic or caused by an outside force, such as certain medicines and other factors. Also, being informed about diabetes is something that can not only help you, but other people as well, because if you catch the symptoms early, it’s more likely easier to treat. 

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Being informed is the most important factor in treating diabetes as well as being aware of your own health. Millions of Americans suffer from this disease, so learn your risk through a free risk test and get informed through the American Diabetes Association. Most importantly, do a little extra to help out those who suffer from this disease this November, I know they’ll be extra thankful!

 

*All information gathered from www.diabetes.org*

 

My name is Haley Garrelts and I'm an English major with a double minor Spanish and Linguistics at SFA! I love to write and read and Her Campus is awesome!
Brianna is a Psychology major with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies here at SFA. She is passionate about people and that's how she landed a spot as CC for Her Campus' chapter at SFA! She enjoys hanging out with her cats, getting tattoos, and doing research. Her passion is to help the LGBTQ+ community by focusing on LGBTQ+ health and therapy in the future.