Diabetes Awareness Month

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Every year the American Diabetes Association focuses on a campaign to educate Americans about diabetes. This year in 2022, the ADA’s campaign is “Diabetes Hits Different”. It’s different in the sense that risk factors and complications have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, but that also includes new improvements in technology to help manage diabetes.

If you are prediabetic, you may not experience any symptoms, but your blood glucose levels are higher than normal ranging between 5.7%-6.4%.

You can still make a change to prevent or delay getting diabetes.

• Lose weight. Be more active
• Eat healthy foods high in fruit, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
• Stop smoking

Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic condition where one’s pancreas makes little to no insulin which is needed to allow sugar to enter cells to produce energy. Although there is no cure for type 1 diabetes, there are still ways to manage it.

Type 2 Diabetes is more common in adults, but has increased in the number of children over the years due to obesity. There is no cure, but there are ways to manage this disease which includes exercise, losing weight and insulin therapy.

Technology in Diabetes:

With diabetes, it is important to prevent any diabetic complications which is why it is important to keep track of your blood glucose. Technology has improved greatly. There is no need to prick your finger multiple times a day to keep track of your sugars. With continuous glucose meters (CGMs), one can monitor their sugars 24/7 with one sensor application. In addition to monitoring, there are now numerous insulin pumps and pens that give diabetic patients the options of how to provide their body with the insulin they need.

If you have any questions regarding diabetic care, or ways to improve how you manage your diabetes please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with one of our providers. You can reach us at 301-593-9800 to book an appointment!