National Diabetes Month

Written by Ariel Hochmen | |

November is National Diabetes Month. Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects people of all ages. There are 2 major types of diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), as well as Gestational Diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy. Anybody can develop diabetes, including YOU.

Diabetes, however manageable, is a difficult disease. Diabetic students can receive accommodations to better succeed in college. Contact the Office of Accessibility to hear more about accommodation plans. Many diabetic students explain it to be exhausting to devote focus and stay on track when your blood sugar feels impossible to manage. Levels of stress, anxiety and other emotions play a part in controlling blood glucose levels. A T1D, out-of-state graduate student, Annie Murru, shared “I’ve had to choose between textbooks or medications, and my professor told me to weigh my priorities.” There are many struggles with living with diabetes, it is crucial to spread awareness to staff and students.

Type 1 Diabetes (sometimes referred to as “Juvenile” or “insulin-dependent” diabetes) is a life-long autoimmune disorder. It is common to develop as a child or adolescent, however that is not always true. You can develop Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) at any age. T1D happens when the immune system attacks the pancreas, which destroys the beta cells that produce insulin. Therefore, diabetics must inject (via medical device or manual injection) insulin multiple times daily to survive and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Any immune system could make mistakes and attack healthy cells rather than dangerous ones. Those mistakes create autoimmune disorders. Some symptoms of T1D are extreme thirst, blurred vision, weight loss, fatigue, frequent infections, and irritability. If you are experiencing these symptoms, is it crucial that you receive medical help as it could be life-threatening, if it is the development of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is a 24/7 disease that is completely unpreventable. Many people who are uneducated about T1D believe excess sugar, weight and diet cause the disease, but that is false. There is no cure for T1D. 

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) has many differences to T1D. Type 2 Diabetics’ body does create insulin, but not enough, or their body resists the insulin being produced. The symptoms are the same, because the symptoms correlate with symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood-sugar), due to lack of insulin. However, some T2D people do not experience symptoms. Treatments for T2D often include change of diet, exercise, medications and sometimes insulin injections. T2D is common in adults, but children can get it as well. Obesity is a leading cause of T2D. “Prediabetes” is a term used when somebody is at higher risk for T2D. 

Both types of diabetes are serious conditions and must be treated. Awareness for Diabetes and its symptoms is important to reduce illness and death among the undiagnosed. Chances are, you know somebody who has diabetes.