Did you know that November is National Diabetes Month and that World Diabetes Day occurred earlier this week on November 14?
You’ve probably heard that diabetes is a chronic health condition becoming increasingly common in the United States that can contribute to serious health complications, such as blindness, kidney disease, heart disease, nerve damage and amputations. But did you also know that there are different kinds of diabetes and lots of things people with diabetes can do to help control the disease and protect their health?
You can learn more about the different kinds of diabetes from the MSU Healthwise Knowledgebase. Check out the following links to learn more about the various kinds of diabetes:
Type II diabetes (the most common type!)
Though there are different kinds of diabetes, all the forms share a few things in common. With any type of diabetes, to enjoy the best health possible it is important to work with your doctor and other members of your medical team to develop and follow a treatment plan that may include elements such as healthy eating, regular exercise, monitoring of blood sugar levels and appropriate use of medications.
Some sites that may be helpful:
National Diabetes Education Program (http://ndep.nih.gov)
National Diabetes Information Clearninghouse (http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/)
American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org/)
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (http://www.jdrf.org/)