How to Recognize November as National Diabetes Awareness Month
Although the exact cause of diabetes remains unknown, obesity, lack of exercise and genetics all contribute to the disease. Depending on whether a person has Type 1 (juvenile diabetes) or Type 2 diabetes (adult onset diabetes), the body either does not produce insulin, or does not produce enough insulin. The result is too much glucose in the blood, which can cause heart disease and stroke, in addition to a number of other medical complications. Diabetes awareness programs focus on prevention and screening, as well as gaining the support needed to find a cure.
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Things You'll Need
- Names of State Representatives and Senators
- Contact information for support groups
- Information about clinical trials
Instructions
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Get involved. Contact your local and state legislators in an attempt to influence policy and federal funding allocated for research. Advocate for more research into treatment and prevention programs, which can bring us closer to a cure. You, your family members and friends can each make a difference.
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Educate yourself and others. Know the difference between the facts about the disease and misinformation. For a diabetic, the more information you have about the disease and how to control it, the better. Learn as much as you can by keeping up-to-date on all the latest developments in treatments and prevention.
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Consider participating in a clinical trial. There are different types of clinical trials--either those research studies designed to gather information about a disease for publication in a medical journal, or studies designed to test drugs or other treatment methods. Discuss the potential risks and benefits with your doctor. A major issue will be whether the treatment protocol being studied will be more beneficial to you than your current course of treatment.
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Seek emotional support. Coping with diabetes can be difficult, with depression often becoming an issue. Fear of the unknown causes more anxiety and the diabetic already has enough to worry about. In addition, stress can elevate blood glucose levels. Join a support group so that you can talk to others who understand. Online forums are becoming a more accessible source of support. If you are not a diabetic yourself, reach out to someone who has the disease.
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Register for a walk or bike ride to raise money for diabetes research. Walking and biking fundraisers are planned in a way to accommodate individuals of all fitness levels. Do your part to help fight diabetes.
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Find out if you are at risk for the disease. Common risk factors include other family members who have diabetes, being overweight, or having high cholesterol, high blood pressure or heart disease.
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Tips & Warnings
It is estimated that approximately 25 million Americans have diabetes, with about another 60 million people at increased risk for developing the disease.
Diabetes costs the nation’s health care system more than $100 billion each year. This cost not only involves direct and indirect health care expenses, but also includes the costs associated with lost worker productivity and permanent disability when diabetes is not controlled.
