A Maine nurse practitioner shares some important tips
A Maine nurse practitioner shares some important tips
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A Maine nurse practitioner shares some important tips
November is Diabetes Awareness Month and a Maine health professional is helping share some important information.
Approximately 37 million Americans are living with diabetes, but roughly 20 percent don’t know they have it.
Mary Sanders in a Nurse Practitioner for Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland. She says diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
Watch the full interview with Sanders in the video player above.
Type 1 is usually diagnosed earlier in life and is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself by mistake). This reaction stops your body from making insulin. Approximately 5-10% of the people who have diabetes have type 1.
With type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t use insulin well and can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels. Sanders says about 90-95% of people with diabetes have type 2, and it develops over many years and is usually diagnosed in adults, however, we are seeing it more and more in children, teens, and young adults.
Gestational diabetes develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. Sanders says if you have gestational diabetes, your baby could be at higher risk for health problems. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after your baby is born. However, it increases your risk for type 2 diabetes later in life.
Sanders explained to Maine’s Total Coverage that if Diabetes is left unmanaged, it can have an effect on major functions of the body. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and vision loss.
She said there are many early warning signs that someone could have diabetes, but having some these signs doesn’t necessarily mean you do have diabetes. It is important to get evaluated by a provider to know for sure.
Symptoms might include extreme thirst, frequent urination, dry mouth, fatigue, increased appetite, unexplained weight loss, and slow healing cuts.
Family history and older age can be two be risk factors on whether someone may get diabetes. Other factors for Type 2 especially include being overweight, not engaging in physical activity at least three times a week, or if you have ever had gestational diabetes.
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