Nothing can be more heartbreaking to a diabetic then talking about their disease to someone who knows nothing about it. You are forced to live with this disease day in and day out. This was not something you chose. You have to monitor all of your food choices. A daily routine consists of pricking your finger to get a blood sample to check your blood sugar level. Depending on the progression of the disease, your physician may have prescribed medications, either to be taken by mouth or by injection. What can you do to increase diabetes awareness?

Here are 3 ways:

 

• Educate, educate, educate: Tell your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors exactly what diabetes is. According to the CDC, diabetes is the condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as en[social_warfare]ergy.  https://www.cdc.gov/media/presskits/aahd/diabetes.pdf There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin. You can think of it as not having a key. People with type 2 diabetes don’t respond to insulin as well as they should and later in the disease often don’t make enough insulin. You can think of this as having a broken key. https://www.healthline.com/health/difference-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes

 

• November is Diabetes Awareness Month: Awareness is simply “to have knowledge of”. November is the designated month for the common non-diabetic to learn, understand and have compassion for those afflicted with diabetes. Blue is the color chosen to represent diabetes. Organizations like the American Diabetes Association has many events in November to educate the American people on this disease. Contact your local American Diabetes Association chapter and volunteer to help spread awareness.

 

• Organize a fundraiser: Plan a community car wash. Contact you local school to host a chicken pot pie dinner. Reach out to your local radio or TV station to promote the fundraiser. Hang up flyers around the neighborhood.  Fundraising proceeds can then be donated to the American Diabetes Association. While you are helping fight this disease by raising money, you are also raising awareness about the disease. 

 

Considering that more than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes, diabetes awareness must increase to stop these staggering numbers from growing. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html