November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

BINGHAMTON, NY - November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. An estimated 17 million Americans have diabetes and approximately 5.4 million people have diabetes and do not even know it. Another 16 million people have pre-diabetes. Every minute at least one person is diagnosed with diabetes. The number of New Yorkers with diabetes is rapidly increasing, yet nearly one-third of those affected do now know they have this disease.

"You could have diabetes for years and not know it," said Jennifer Lesko, Supervising Public Health Educator for the Broome County Health Department, "and, during that time, your body can suffer irreversible damage. It is very important to know the warning signs of diabetes and get tested if you think you may have this disease."

Being overweight or obese makes a person much more likely to develop diabetes, she said. According to a recent statewide Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, more than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight and about one in six are obese. In Broome County it is estimated that almost 7,500 people have diabetes. Prevalence estimates indicate that almost 30 percent of Broome County adults are overweight. Between 1995 and 1999 the rates of Broome County resident deaths and hospitalizations due to diabetes are consistently higher than the state rates.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death among New York State residents. This chronic disease, which has no cure, is increasingly common across the country as well, because more Americans are obese, more are living longer, and Americans of all ages are less physically active than they should be to maintain their health.

There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with this type of diabetes cannot produce insulin on their own and rely on daily insulin shots. About 90 to 95 percent of all people with diabetes have Type 2, which can usually be controlled be healthy eating, being active and taking medications.

Early detection and treatment help prevent the most severe complications of diabetes. Unfortunately many people find out they have diabetes only after they become ill or disabled due to blindness, kidney disease, nerve disease, an amputation, heart disease or stroke. This is particularly tragic since a simple blood test is all that is needed to tell someone whether they have diabetes.

People with diabetes do not produce or properly use a hormone called insulin, which helps change food into energy. As a result, they do not gain a normal amount of energy from eating, and their blood has a higher than usual amount of sugar. The warning signs of diabetes are: a need to urinate frequently, excessive thirst, weight loss despite an increased appetite, extreme fatigue and irritability.

You are at greater risk of developing diabetes if you are overweight; physically inactive; have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes; and have high blood pressure or abnormal blood cholesterol levels. Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans have a greater risk than others of developing this disease.

The Southern Tier Healthy Living Partnership at the Broome County Health Department offers diabetes information to people living with diabetes, loved ones of people with diabetes and those at risk of developing the disease. One of the goals of the Healthy Living Partnership is to increase the number of people with diabetes receiving flu and pneumonia vaccinations. Another goal of Healthy Living Partnership is to lower the number of people with diabetes having lower extremity amputations caused by complications of the disease.

The Southern Tier Healthy Living Partnership encourages people with diabetes to protect themselves from Influenza and Pneumococcal disease by getting a flu and pneumonia shot. Immunization is extremely important for people who are most likely to experience complications from these diseases.

Influenza or "flu" is highly contagious. Flu season comes around every year often beginning in late fall and running through March. And, as always, the flu brings along some familiar symptoms: fever, sore throat, cough, tiredness, and body aches. What you may not know is that for some people, including people with diabetes, the flu can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications. In fact, in the United States during a typical flu season, the disease can cause approximately 142,000 hospitalizations and take an estimated 20,000 lives.

Pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of serious illness in adults and children. Anyone can get pneumococcal disease but older people and others in certain risk groups, including people with diabetes, are at an increased risk. The most common symptoms include chills, cough, fever, congestion, and headache. Each year in the United States, there are 150,000 to 570,000 cases of pneumococcal disease annually.

It is important to talk to your health care provider about Influenza and Pneumococcal vaccinations. Your health care provider will help you decide whether you should be immunized.

People with diabetes are also at high risk for foot problems. You may have serious foot problems yet feel no pain due to nerve damage. Loot at your feet every day to see if you have scratches, cracks, cuts, or blisters. Always check between your toes and on the bottom of your feet. If you can't bend over to see the bottoms of your feet, ask a family member or friend to help you. Call your health care provider at once if you have a sore on your foot. Sores can get worse quickly and lead to severe complications.

Ask your health care provider to look at your feet at least four times a year. As a reminder, take off your shoes and socks when you are in the exam room. A foot exam includes testing your sense of feeling and the pulses.

If you have nerve damage, deformed or mishaped feet, or a circulation problem, your feet need special care. Ask your health care provider to show you how to properly care for your feet. Also ask if special shoes would help you.

To prevent diabetes or to reduce complications if you already have it, engage in physical activity for 30 minutes on most days of the week, eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day, maintain a reasonable weight, and avoid tobacco.

For more information about the importance of Influenza and Pneumoccoccal vaccinations and proper foot care, contact The Southern Tier Healthy Living Partnership at 1.877.276.1019, or visit the New York State Department of Health website at http://www.health.state.ny.us. For a schedule of flu clinics to be held by the Broome County Health Department and the Broome County Office for Aging, call 607.778.3911 option 4.

CONTACT:
Jennifer Lesko, Supervising Public Health Educator,
Broome County Health Department, 607.778.3929
email: jlesko

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