Medical Monday- National Diabetes Month

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - November is National Diabetes Month. According to the CDC, Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. Newssource 8s Jonathon Eigenmann has more

Diabetes is a disease that affects millions across the United States. The American Diabetes Association reports that In Maine more than 115,000 people in Maine have been diagnosed with diabetes, with 8,096 people diagnosed every year. In addition the report says, 32,000 people in Maine have diabetes but don’t know it. Jennifer Smith, a registered Nurse with Northern Light AR Gould, says that diabetes is not easy to self-diagnose.

Jennifer Smith- " Some People don’t even realize that they may be at risk of getting diabetes, they can be some of the symptoms for a high sugar might be being tired, having blurry vision, being thirsty, having a dry mouth, urinating more frequently”.

There are multiple types of diabetes, which include type 1, type 3, prediabetes and gestational diabetes.

Jennifer Smith- " its hereditary, type 2 diabetes especially, and it has a lot to do with your lifestyle, you’re at a higher risk the older you get, you’re at a higher risk if you’re a male, you’re at a higher risk if you’re a female if you have Gestational diabetes with any pregnancies, you’re at a higher risk if you have high blood pressure, you’re at a higher risk if you aren’t purposely physically active, and if your overweight as well”.

With inflation and rising food costs, Smith says people are at a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Jennifer Smith- “Especially with all the processed food like you say, and people aren’t it’s expensive to shop healthy, its expensive to buy fresh produce and fresh meat, it’s cheaper to buy packaged and very processed items”

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, treatment options can be dependent tests like the A1C test or fasting blood glucose levels

Jennifer Smith- " Some people have very high levels when they find out and they may have to go right on insulin, some people might be just on the cusp, and they might just be able to do some lifestyle modifications to help treat their diabetes and there’s lots of type 2 diabetes oral medications out there”.

Smith says there’s no specific age for checking whether you have diabetes. For more information you can reach out to your primary care provider.

Jonathon Eigenmann, Newssource 8.

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