Sheldon, Iowa — November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Many northwest Iowans have diabetes, and need to control it through one of several methods.
Sanford Sheldon Diabetes Educator and registered nurse Janie Avila tells us what diabetes is.
Experts tell us that insulin acts like a key to “unlock” cells so the sugar in the blood can get in and provide energy. Avila tells us that when that doesn’t happen as it should, that is diabetes, and the resultant buildup of sugar in your bloodstream can have detrimental consequences.
She tells us that there are several things to look out for.
According to Avila, there are several ways to treat diabetes.
As far as prevention, diet and exercise can sometimes reverse pre-diabetes. She says the big thing to watch out for is carbohydrates because they turn into sugar in the body. She gives us some tips.
Avila says that annual checkups are recommended for everyone. And hopefully, if you get a checkup every year, something like pre-diabetes can be caught early. And the earlier you know about it, the more that can be done to reverse it.
For more information, you can contact your provider or Sanford Sheldon at (712) 324-5356.
