November is American Diabetes Awareness Month

November has been designated as American Diabetes Awareness Month. According to the American Diabetes Association:

• Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.
• Another 86 million Americans have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
• The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $245 billion.

Type 1 diabetes is overwhelmingly attributed to children and young adults. For this reason, this type of diabetes is often referred to as juvenile diabetes. With this type of diabetes, the body produces no insulin and sufferers have to inject insulin into their bodies to regulate their blood sugar.

Almost everyone that develops Type 2 diabetes develops signs of pre-diabetes beforehand. Pre-diabetes often occurs in the body with no outward showing symptoms.

Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes. Under this type, the body does not use the insulin in your body correctly. This problem is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance happens when insulin cannot properly allow glucose into your cells in order to make energy for you. As a result, glucose builds up in a person’s blood. Some people can manage their diabetes with lifestyle changes such as weight loss and regular physical activity. Others may need to take and insulin pill or inject insulin in order to control their Type 2 diabetes.

No matter what type of diabetes you need information on, the library offers a variety of titles that you can browse, including the following:

Diabetes A to Z: What You Need to Know about Diabetes—Simply Put
Diabetes and You: A Comprehensive Holistic Approach  
Mayo Clinic: The Essential Diabetes Book 
The Little Diabetes Book You Need to Read  
Juvenile Diabetes  

Pamela Jessie
Woodlawn Branch Library