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Hello one and all! Welcome to my Diabetes stream! I'm your host - Samuel Shank - where I'll be discussing the essentials and need-to-know facts about Diabetes!

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Diabetes (DYE-uh-BEE-tees) is a condition where your body handles how to turn food/glucose into energy differently. There are 3 main types of Diabetes:

Type 1: Can be genetically diagnosed or develops over time; the patient is not at fault.

Type 2: This is a result of the patient's lifestyle. If the patient can't keep their healthiness in check, then their Pancreas (the organ that produces the insulin for the body) is overwhelmed and your blood sugar rises dramatically; this is the patient's fault.

Gestational Diabetes: A type of Diabetes that occurs during Pregnancy, where the Pancreas can't produce insulin for the body; this is not the patient's fault, like Type 1.

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Diabetes is a non-communicable disease, meaning that it's long-term/life-lasting. Symptoms can be hard to spot, it’s important to know the risk factors for all three types of Diabetes and to see your doctor so you get your blood sugar tested if you have any of them.

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What Are Some Symptoms/Signs Of Diabetes?

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What Are Some Symptoms/Signs Of Diabetes?

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Type 1 diabetes symptoms can develop over time, usually when kids reach 3rd Grade. Once symptoms appear, they can be severe. The Risk Factors for type 1 diabetes are not as clear as type 2 diabetes, though family history is known to play a part. Type 2 diabetes symptoms often develop over several years and can go on for a long time without being noticed. Gestational diabetes typically doesn’t have any symptoms, but you'll need to be tested to know for sure. If you do have any of these symptoms, you should go see your doctor have your blood sugar checked:

Are very hungry

Have blurry vision

Have numb or tingling hands or feet

Feel very tired

Have very dry skin

Have sores that heal slowly

Urinate (pee) a lot, often at night

Are very thirsty

Lose weight without trying

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Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself by mistake like a sort of glitch) that destroys special cells - beta cells - in the pancreas that make insulin. This process can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear.

If you have type 2 diabetes, cells don’t respond normally to insulin; this is called insulin resistance. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Eventually, your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for the consequences type 2 diabetes has to offer.

Gestational diabetes occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin during your pregnancy. During pregnancy, your body makes more hormones and goes through other changes, such as weight gain. These changes cause your body’s cells to use insulin less effectively, increasing your body’s need for insulin.

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What Are Some Other Useful Facts About Diabetes?

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What Are Some Other Useful Facts About Diabetes?

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Unlike many health conditions, diabetes is managed mostly by you, with support from your health care team (i.e. your primary care doctor, registered dietitian nutritionist, diabetes educator, and pharmacist), family, teachers, and other important people in your life. Managing diabetes can be challenging ordeal, but everything you do to improve your health is worth it!

If you have type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to take insulin shots (or wear an insulin pump) every day to manage your blood sugar levels and get the energy your body needs. Insulin can’t be taken as a pill because the acid in your stomach would destroy it before it could get into your bloodstream. Your doctor will help communicate what form of insulin would be most appropriate and how much you'll need to do depending on the situation at hand.

Every decision you make with your food intake and exercise will now impact your blood sugar levels and how you're body will react. For instance, taking insulin and doing exercise makes your blood sugar go down, and consuming food and drinks with carbs makes blood sugar go up. However, if your blood sugar gets too low, you will enter Hypoglycemia where you pass out and/or have a seizure if not treated immediately with carbs. And if it's too high, your brain will be overwhelmed from the sky-high blood sugar levels and will then enter the same scenario as Hypoglycemia if not treated with insulin. Therefore, it will be paramount to balance your levels, but that doesn't mean you have to face it alone. :)

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What Group(s) Does Diabetes Affect The Most?

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What Group(s) Does Diabetes Affect The Most?

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For Type 1, it can happen at any age, but it’s more likely to develop when you’re a child, teen, or young adult. Additionally, family history has been known to play a part in Type 1 Diabetes, like if one of your family members has/has had it in the past.

For Type 2, you're at risk if you are one or more of the following: Have prediabetes (prep stage for Diabetes, which is reversible), are overweight, are 45 years or older, have a family member with Type 2 (like Type 1), are physically active less than 3 times a week, or had Gestational Diabetes in the past.

For Gestational Diabetes, you're at risk if you: Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy, have given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds, are overweight, are more than 25 years old, have a family history of type 2 diabetes, have a hormone disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

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Is There Any Cures Or Treatments For Diabetes?

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Is There Any Cures Or Treatments For Diabetes?

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Type 1 is in no way curable, as it is mostly tied to the genes of the patient, and it cannot be prevented. Type 2 diabetes is different. Sometimes, it can be prevented. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can still make insulin, but the body doesn't respond to it in the right way. Here are a few ways to protect yourself from getting Type 2 Diabetes:

Eat good-for-you foods. Try to eat foods that are low in fat, but high in other nutrients. Here are some good choices: whole-grain cereals and bread, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, cheese, lean meats, and other sources of protein.

Limit fast food and sugary sodas. Eating too much fat and sugar can make you overweight. And being overweight can make you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Try to cut back on fatty fast foods and sugary drinks like sodas, juices, and iced teas.

Get up and get moving. Staying active is a better choice than watching TV or playing video or computer games when it comes to preventing diabetes and staying healthy. Moving around a lot helps prevent diabetes and helps keep your weight in a healthy range. Being active can be as simple as walking the dog, running around your yard, or playing soccer with friends. Try to do something that gets you moving every day!

Finally, you can do a lot to manage your Gestational Diabetes. You should go to all your prenatal appointments and follow your treatment plan, including:

Checking your blood sugar to make sure your levels stay in a healthy range.

Eating healthy food in the right amounts at the right times. Follow a healthy eating plan created by your doctor or dietitian.

Being active. Regular physical activity that’s moderately intense (such as brisk walking) lowers your blood sugar and makes you more sensitive to insulin so your body won’t need as much. Make sure to check with your doctor about what kind of physical activity you can do and if there are any kinds you should avoid.

Monitoring your baby. Your doctor will check your baby’s growth and development.

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The following websites, mixed with my own personal knowledge of Diabetes, were what I used in making this stream:

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/home/index.html

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/diabetes-basics/what/?WT.ac=en-k-diabetes-center-b#catgland