window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-GEQWY429QJ');

 

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes DayPhoto via Instagram / @dc_dcamps

Diabetes is a disease affecting millions of Americans. In 2016, the CDC reported more than 29 million people currently live with diabetes. However, the number of diagnosed cases wasn’t the most shocking statistic. In fact, 86 million people are living with pre-diabetes, which means they have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and other diseases. Of these 86 million people, 90 percent are unaware of their developing condition. World Diabetes Day, celebrated on Nov. 14 every year, aims to bring awareness to the disease.

Diabetes is often linked to a bad diet. However, it is important to understand there are different types of the disease and they are not caused by the same factors. Moreover, a bad immune system, not a McDonald’s diet, may be causing your illness.

ENTITY compiled the facts to help spread awareness for World Diabetes Day.

The history of World Diabetes Day

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes Day

Photo via Instagram / @tropicanaslim

The International Diabetes Federation created World Diabetes Day in 1991 to address what they saw as a growing worldwide problem. In addition, the national holiday was recognized and validated by the United Nations in 2006.

Through the holiday, IDF and the World Health Organization aim to increase knowledge about the disease and advocate for preventative measures.

Type 1 Diabetes

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes Day

Photo via Instagram / @derektheler

Type 1 Diabetes is not the typical bad diet-based disease that diabetes is commonly associated with. Here are some quick facts about the first type of the illness.

“Baby Daddy” actor Derek Theler described his experience living with Type 1 Diabetes to Bello Mag.

“It’s a constant responsibility when you’re a Type 1 Diabetic. You can’t drink too much. You have to be very strict when it comes to your eating habits and checking your blood sugar and taking your insulin,” he explained. “The last thing I want is to have 100 people on set waiting on me to get my blood sugar back to the right spot.”

Theler said working in the water was the most difficult part of filming because he couldn’t get his insulin pump wet. However, the actor needed the pump to keep his blood sugar levels in check.

1 What causes Type 1 Diabetes?

While there are not specific causes, Type 1 Diabetes can be triggered by a number of factors. These include viral and bacterial infections, chemical toxins found in food and something causing an autoimmune reaction.

2 What happens when you have Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes affects your insulin production. Instead of working for you, your immune system works against you and destroys beta cells in your pancreas. Beta cells are responsible for producing insulin, which helps provide energy for your cells by transferring glucose.

When the beta cells are damaged, there is no insulin to move the glucose into the cells. In addition to depriving the cells of needed energy, the glucose cannot properly move and it builds up in your bloodstream, causing high blood sugar.

High blood sugar can then lead to dehydration, weight loss, blurred vision, feeling increasingly hungry or thirsty and experiencing numbness in your feet. More serious symptoms include heavy breathing, dry skin and mouth and stomach pain.

3 Diet still matters with Type 1 Diabetes.

While a poor diet may not be associated with the cause of Type 1 Diabetes, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is still very important.

Because of the glucose build up, people with Type 1 Diabetes must focus on lowering their blood sugar. Incorporating dietary foods that are high in vitamins and minerals but low in sugar, fat and empty carbohydrates is necessary to keep blood sugar levels regular.

4 Who gets Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes is rare. Only five percent of diabetics are considered Type 1.

This form of the disease is typically diagnosed in people under 20 but can also appear later in life. In addition, it is more likely to appear in Caucasian people than African Americans. Men and women have equal risk to the disease.

5 How do you treat Type 1 Diabetes?

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes Day

Photo via Instagram / @that.diabetic.life

Treatments for Type 1 Diabetes include taking insulin, monitoring your blood sugar and maintaining a healthy diet.

Administering insulin isn’t as easy as taking pills. If it was, it would be ineffective because your body would still break it down. Instead, insulin must be delivered to the source of the problem through injection or an insulin pump, which uses a catheter.

And as of 2016, researchers have started testing the effectiveness of an artificial pancreas.

But regardless of the treatment method, blood sugar levels should  typically stay between 80 and 130 mg/dL during the day and before meals and should not extend beyond 180 mg/dL two hours after meals.

Type 2 Diabetes

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes Day

Photo via Instagram / @drphil

Type 2 Diabetes is the more common version of diabetes and is closely linked to diet. Here are some quick facts about the second type of the illness.

Dr. Phil opened up about his experience living with Type 2 Diabetes to Huffington Post.

“This is one of those diseases that has a stigma. There are a lot of people that feel guilty if they have Type 2 Diabetes. There’s a lot of shame that goes with it, because people think if you’ve got the disease it’s because you’ve been lazy, you haven’t eaten right,” he shared. “Some of those factors can aggravate the condition if you have the disease, but you’re genetically predisposed to this. The truth is that the stigma is really grounded in a lack of information.”

How does he deal with this? Dr. Phil said the most important aspect of dealing with Type 2 Diabetes is creating a regular, healthy lifestyle.

1 What causes Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 Diabetes is typically caused by obesity, low metabolism, increasing age and an unhealthy lifestyle. Like Dr. Phil pointed out, genes also play a significant role when it comes to Type 2 Diabetes. If both your parents have the condition, you have a 50 percent chance of also developing it.

2 What happens when you have Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 Diabetes also affects insulin production. If you have this disease, your body still makes insulin. However, it doesn’t correctly handle the insulin and you experience insulin resistance.

Your pancreas attempts to keep up with insulin production to satisfy the cells’ need for glucose, but like Type 1, sugar builds up in the bloodstream instead.

Other factors contributing to Type 2 Diabetes include the liver overproducing glucose and the cells failing to efficiently communicate.

3 In addition to regulating diet, Type 2 Diabetics must also closely monitor oral and eye health.

Type 2 Diabetics are at an increased risk of mouth infections and gum disease. In addition, the disease can damage blood vessels in the eye’s retina. In fact, Type 2 Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

4 Who gets Type 2 Diabetes?

Unlike Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes is more common among adults than children. One in every 10 adults over age 20, has Type 2 Diabetes. In addition, one in every four adults over age 65 has the illness.

White people are less likely to get Type 2 Diabetes than other racial groups. Asian Americans, on the other hand, are nine percent more likely to get the disease than White individuals. Likewise, Hispanics are 12.8 percent more likely and African Americans are 13.2 percent more likely.

However, Native Americans are at the most risk with one in three diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

5 How do you treat Type 2 Diabetes?

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes Day

Photo via Instagram / @amyryan7673

Type 2 Diabetes is more manageable than Type 1. It is less common to need outside insulin therapy, but its incorporation is becoming more popular in recent years for its added benefits.

The main method of treating Type 2, however, encourages eating healthy, upping physical activity and monitoring blood sugar levels.

Surgeries like gastric bypass are also an option to help blood sugar levels return to normal. Sadly, they don’t come without risk and are costly.

How can I get tested for Diabetes?

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes Day

Photo via Instagram / @jen_oliveros05

There are multiple tests a doctor can do to determine if you have diabetes. However, distinguishing between Type 1 and Type 2 isn’t always so easy.

Blood glucose tests and Hemoglobin A1c will show how well your body is transferring glucose and utilizing insulin.

However, faulty insulin use is present in both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. To differentiate between the two, doctors will often conduct a C-peptide test to look at the body’s autoantibodies. People with Type 1 Diabetes produce the antibody ZnT8Ab, while people with Type 2 do not.

Despite the autoantibody test, it may still take months or even years to get a definitive answer for which type you have. Just make sure to take care of your body as best you can.

And now that you have the facts about Diabetes, you can celebrate World Diabetes Day by sharing this new information with your friends.

ENTITY celebrates World Diabetes Day

Send this to a friend