Prevention and early treatment are the keys to preventing the serious problems that can result from diabetes. Learn how to manage diabetes by attending a one on one Diabetes Self-Management Education Program at Madison County Memorial Hospital. The program is covered by most health insurance policies. Our Diabetes Education Program has been Nationally Recognized and Certified since 2000. Our Certified Diabetes Educators, Becky Paxton, RN, CDE, CCRP, and Linda Klejch RD/LD, CDE are available at 515-462-5218.
We thank the American Diabetes Association for providing the following information.
Did you know that 1 in 11 Americans today has diabetes? Despite its prevalence, diabetes is an invisible disease. It affects men and women, people young and old, and people of all races, shapes and sizes. Often there are no outward signs from the 29 million Americans who fight this chronic illness every day. That’s why there is a critical need to foster awareness and education while breaking down stereotypes, myths and misunderstandings about this growing public health crisis that affects so many of us. Here’s the facts!
- One in eleven Americans has diabetes today!
- Every 23 seconds someone in the US is diagnosed with Diabetes!
- 86 Million Americans are at risk for diabetes!
- Diabetes causes more deaths than AIDS and Breast Cancer Combined!
This is exactly why the American Diabetes Association marks each November as American Diabetes Month—to bring extra attention to the disease and the tens of millions of people affected by it.
Diabetes is more than the medications and devices used to manage it. For many, diabetes dictates how they organize their day, what they eat at every meal, how they choose to be physically active and how they spend their money. People with diabetes can have health care costs that are 2.3 times higher than someone without diabetes, as type 1 and type 2 require very specific forms of treatment.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and there is no known way to prevent it. Approximately 5 percent of people with diabetes have type 1, which means their body does not produce any insulin. Insulin is critical in order for the body to transport glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into cells for energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to live.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of cases in the United States, and is caused when the body does not produce or use insulin properly. Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight, having a family history of diabetes and having diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes). Some people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose (sugar) with healthy eating and being active; other may require oral medications or insulin, especially as the disease progresses. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as older adults.
Some women develop gestational diabetes, high blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy, which requires treatment to protect the health of the mother and the baby. Gestational diabetes affects approximately 9.2 percent of pregnant women. Women who have Gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes in their midlife years and should be screened by their physicians.
Contact our Certified Diabetic Educators at (515) 462-5218 for more information.