Importance of Diabetes Awareness

Since it’s November that makes it national diabetes awareness. In the black community we don’t often talk about the seriousness of diabetes and the different types of diabetes. The re is type one diabetes which is where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This is a condition that I have lived with for 18 years so I’m experienced in the field of diabetes, a common mix-up that I get often is it has to do with my weight. This is because for black people we are more familiar with type 2 diabetes which is where the body doesn’t use insulin properly creating high blood sugar levels that need to be monitored. Type 2 diabetes of high blood pressure as most people call it, is commonly seen in the black community due to the environment. Type 1 diabetes is more seen in white people and young children but this is not to say that there are not black people who deal with this disease like myself. Black people are less likely to get tested for type 1 diabetes and more likely to get tested for type 2. The signs of type 1 diabetes are: excessive thirst, excessive hunger, unexplained weight loss, blurred vision, slow healing of cuts and sores, fatigue and many more symptoms can be found on jdrf.org. To get tested on to your local doctors office. As of right now there is no cure for type 1 diabetes which sucks for people like me but with the new studies and technology that comes out every year it gives hope to people like that it’s getting constant research and not being pushed to the side. It’s important that if you notice these symptoms contact you doctor and make sure you have a team because dealing with diabetes is no walk in the park.