diabetes is a chronic condition that affects about 20 million Americans. The condition makes your body build up deposits of sugar in your blood called beige coats. These beige coats help keep your cells healthy and provide you with energy during the day. However, when you’re not having enough daylight or the conditions are not right, this sugar build-up causes your beige coat to start to creak and crack. . . . And that’s when diabetes comes into play! If you have diabetes, your family member or friend with diabetes might also experience symptoms of weakness, fatigue, mood changes and feelings of agitation. This may all be normal and part of being diabetic — but it’s important to understand exactly what is happening before making any decisions about how to help control your diabetes problems. Here are some great ways for getting started with Diabetes Awareness Month:

Start with a list

People with diabetes often have a hard time imagining that they have another condition that is worse than their disease. However, the truth is that both conditions are serious health issues that require significant amounts of support and care. That’s why it’s important to start with a list of the negatives of being diabetic so you can identify any potential solutions before you get started on the good. Here are some things to keep in mind as you list the negatives of diabetes: Your body has a built-in way to stop the sugar from building up in your blood stream. It’s called the beta glucan protein trap. Your body calls this the “fat trap.” When your body doesn’t get enough sugar, it goes into battle with an enzyme called thermogenic or free-radical free-fatty acid enzyme to make more sugar. An excess of sugar in the body may increase blood pressure, even though there’s no obvious reason for that. Your body makes more insulin when sugar is high because sugar is needed to help with insulin production.

Read the signs and symptoms

If you notice any of the following symptoms while you’re having diabetes, it might be a sign that you have the wrong type of diabetes. Learn about the signs and symptoms of other possible causes of diabetes, and then contact your health care practitioner if it persists. Swelling or pain in your feet or legs (concussion) Having trouble sleeping or staying focused (nightmares) Having frequent headaches or feelings of “pins and needles” (seizures) Having a fast heart rate (arrhythmia) while having no obvious physical signs of heart disease

Ask your health care team if you understand

One aspect of being diabetic that you may not know about is your family history. What are your relatives with diabetes doing right? What are they doing wrong? And what can you do to improve your relatives’ chances of staying healthy and active? If you’re not getting the answers to these questions, it’s important to get started on the right foot. Your relative’s chance of living a healthy and active lifestyle depends on their health and diabetes status. How you frame these questions and seek answers depends on your age and other specific details about your relative’s diabetes. Ask your health care team if they can help.

Learn about the problems in your family and how diabetes is affecting them

There are several things to take notice of about your family history, the way your family members are managing their diabetes, and their reactions to news of growing diabetes in others. The first issue is that your family members appear to be on the right track. They are eating a healthy diet, having regular check-ups, and monitoring their blood sugar closely. They also appear to be making efforts to control their stress and make time for themselves when they can. At the same time, your relatives with diabetes are dealing with the stress and challenges that come with managing such a chronic condition. They may be feeling “thrilled” or “loaded” with “attention” because they know there is so little time for themselves.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions or to suggest changes

diabetes is an often unasked for condition. It’s easy to feel that you have to “straighten out” your diabetes before you can begin to make any real changes. However, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do anything until your health care practitioner has prescribed you the right medication. Health care practitioners usually recommend exactly what changes you can make to help control your diabetes. It’s usually easier to make a suggestion than to try to take control of your diabetes yourself. One way to think about it is this: if you can “inform” your doctor or health care practitioner of your desires before you have to take any prescribed medications, you are more likely to stick to your doctor’s recommendations and avoid those that are not safe or effective.

Bottom line

There’s no mistaking the fact that being a diabetic is a serious condition. It affects everyone differently and it requires a lot of support from all parts of your life. As with any health issue, it’s important to make sure you are taking care of yourself. You can do this by eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, and using weight loss programs. If you’ve had trouble with your diabetes, you may also experience weakness, tiredness, mood changes, and feelings of agitation. These are normal and part of being diabetic — but it’s important to understand exactly what is happening before making any decisions about how to help control your diabetes problems. Here are some great ways for getting started with Diabetes Awareness Month: Start a list of the signs and symptoms that your diabetes is showing. sweats similar to those that occur when you’re not having enough daylight in the night. struggling to get out of bed in the morning due to a lack of energy. having trouble sleeping due to constant stress. having frequent heart attacks or strokes while taking care of business.