Bringing Awareness: Diabetes Month

November, being National Diabetes Awareness month, is a chance for people to come together to bring attention to a life-altering disease. Diabetes is prominent within the black community, so it is always important to indulge in the knowledge of diabetes.
The main types of diabetes can be recognized as, Type 1, Type 2, Prediabetes, and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is when glucose levels in the blood are too high due to the body not being able to make enough insulin, while type 2 is when the body does not take advantage of the bodies insulin correctly. Prediabetes is when the glucose levels in the blood are high, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a diabetes found in pregnant women with higher sugar in the blood than usual.
Southern University attendee and nursing major, Zaniah Duriso explains, “Diabetes, to most, is not seen as a serious disease, which is apart of the problem. It can seriously affect one’s health, such as one’s eyes. Diabetes has been known to cause blurred vision and affect the skin. It should always be taken serious in all types and situations.”
Lahoma Vernon, a black teacher at Mount Hermon School in Mount Hermon, Louisiana living with the disease, relays her situation and struggles by stating, “I’ve had this terrible immune system disease since 2006. I was diagnosed with it a few months after my mother passed.I always link it to stress or depression, however it is said it’s hereditary. My mother had a combination of both, which was very dangerous. She had many strokes, heart attacks, as well as an eye disease.”
Diabetes attack many organs in the body, but the eyes and kidneys are a main target. Even though the disease has been known to make one weak, it can be managed with constant monitoring of food/drink intake, taking meds properly, and exercising.
The Louisiana teacher also adds, “I suffer with Type 2, and I can tell you, diabetes is a mean disease, and destroys so many lives, but I will not let it get me down..”
As a witness to the tragedies of the disease, one should always take caution when in the line of fire. One way to prevent the disease is to stay active. Being physically active can result in losing weight, lowering the sugar in the blood, and keep the blood sugar within range! Another is involving healthy fats in ones diet. Healthy fats include, but are not limited to— canola oils, nuts, salmon, and tuna. Diabetes is a life altering disease, but is manageable. Awareness for diabetes is imperative, and should also be normalized.