𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

16. Diabetes

"Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin."

Diabetes hits pretty close to home for me because all of my grandparents had it as well as 3 of my maternal great-grandparents and even an uncle. So I, myself, am very susceptible to getting it. Although genetics do have a huge factor in it, it can be somewhat prevented through diet and exercise.

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects the way your body turns food into energy. Most of the food that we eat is broken down into sugar (glucose) which passes into the bloodstream. So when your blood sugar goes up from eating too much sugary sweets, our bodies tell our pancreas to release more insulin. Insulin then releases all that blood sugar into our cells to use as energy.

But if you have Diabetes, your body either can't make enough insulin to sustain your body or can't use insulin the way it was intended to. That leaves too much blood sugar within your bloodstream and over time, it can cause serious damage to your kidneys, heart and can even lead to vision loss.

I think it's a common misconception though that only sugary foods need to be avoided when you have Diabetes - that's false. There are so many foods that turn into sugar, including starchy vegetables like potatoes or even sweet fruits like bananas.

But first of all, let's talk about the symptoms which include weight loss, blurred vision, tiredness, feeling very thirsty or hungry, numb or tingling hands/feet, dry skin, sores that heal slowly, more infections than normal, skin tags as well as going to the bathroom more frequently.

Another symptom that's not as heard about is dark patches on your skin - ie, your neck, arms, legs. It presents itself looking very similar to dirt but is in fact, a warning sign of diabetes. My mom had this as a child and so did I. Thankfully, though, it's disappeared from my skin now thanks to a healthier lifestyle.

Now, there are 2 Types of Diabetes. Type 1 usually starts when you're a child, teenager or young adult but can really develop at any age. Those with Type 1 may have nausea, stomach pains, or vomiting in the beginning stages. It can also be developed fairly quickly within the span of a few weeks to months.

Type 2 usually develops at a slower pace, over the course of several years and oftentimes is overlooked because symptoms can be very mild. Type 2 generally begins when you're an adult (all of my grandparents were in their 40's or older when they developed it). Although with the diet of most children, teens and young adults these days, studies have found those numbers changing and younger people developing Type 2.

There is also Gestational Diabetes that a woman can develop while pregnant, although usually its with no symptoms accompanying the disease.

Left untreated or not taking care of your body can lead to the loss of limbs as well due to gangrene. My grandfather lost toes and had to be on dialysis for kidney problems, his own mother lost a toe, my grandmother was on the verge of losing her eyesight before she passed and even her own mother lost a foot then her entire leg and had kidney problems and dialysis as well.

So Diabetes is not something to play with, it's definitely a disease that can be very dangerous. My relatives I mentioned never wanted to do anything differently - my grandfather insisted upon eating whatever he wanted. On holidays, it was "just once won't hurt you". No, it won't. Except he would do that every day. His "one time" was every time. And my great-grandma was set on drinking a glass of orange juice every single day, no matter that it cost her her leg in the end.

Because of all that, I try really hard to stay on a fairly healthy diet and stay away from too much sweets as well as sugary food and foods that turn into sugar. I'm already too susceptible as it is with so many relatives having it so I try not to push it.

As of now, there is no cure for Diabetes. The best those who have it can do is to eat better, exercise frequently and try to keep a healthy weight.

If you have Diabetes or know someone with it, don't hesitate to share and comment below. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :) Next up, I'll be talking about Asthma. Hope y'all read it! :)