Diabetes Awareness Month
- Kortlahn
- Nov 14
- 3 min read
November is American Diabetes Month. I know that I am an international queen, but I am based in America, so I must address my country.
World Diabetes Day was November 14, 2025, and is the world's largest diabetes awareness campaign, reaching a global audience of more than 1 billion people in more than 160 countries.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.
How many types of diabetes are there, and how do they differ from each other?
There are 3 types:
Type 1 diabetes causes your pancreas to not make insulin or to make very little insulin. Insulin helps blood sugar enter your cells for use as energy. Without insulin, blood sugar can’t get into cells and builds up in the bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes is less common than type. About 5-10% of people with diabetes have type 1. Currently, no one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by cells that don’t respond normally to insulin. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Eventually, your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. You can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes with proven, achievable lifestyle changes—such as losing a small amount of weight and getting more physically active—even if you’re at high risk. Read
Symptoms
Type 1 & 2 diabetes symptoms can include:
Feeling more thirsty than usual.
Urinating a lot.
Bed-wetting in children who have never wet the bed during the night.
Feeling very hungry.
Losing weight without trying.
Feeling irritable or having other mood changes.
Feeling tired and weak.
Having blurry vision.
It can take months or years before symptoms of type 1 & type 2 diabetes are noticed. Type 1 & type 2 diabetes symptoms can develop in just a few weeks or months. Once symptoms appear, they can be severe. Some type 1 & type 2 diabetes symptoms are similar to symptoms of other health conditions.
Don’t guess! If you think you could have type 1 or 2 diabetes, see your doctor to get your blood sugar tested. Untreated diabetes can lead to serious—even fatal—health problems.
Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy in women who don’t already have diabetes. Every year, 2% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes. Managing gestational diabetes will help make sure you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Symptoms:
Gestational diabetes typically doesn’t have any symptoms.
What are the risk factors for diabetes?
Type 1
Risks can include:
Family history: Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 1 diabetes.
Age: You can get type 1 diabetes at any age, but it usually develops in children, teens, or young adults.
Type 2
Risks can include:
Have prediabetes.
Are overweight.
Are 45 years or older.
Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes.
Are physically active less than 3 times a week.
Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed over 9 pounds.
Are an African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, or Alaska Native person. Some Pacific Islanders and Asian American people are also at higher risk.
Gestational
Risks can include:
Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy.
Have given birth to a baby who weighed over 9 pounds.
Are overweight.
Are more than 25 years old.
Have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
Have a hormone disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Are an African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander person.
I hope this information is helpful and easy to understand. You can always comment if you need clarification! Thanks for reading!!!
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