Diabetes is an illness that for genetic reasons, affects Latinos at a higher rate than other ethnic groups. The problem of diabetes is that it is a “silent” illness. That is, the symptoms don’t show until the illness is already established. If you have diabetes, and you don’t know, you may be having trouble conceiving or to maintain your pregnancy.  

What is diabetes?

People who suffer from diabetes cannot correctly process the food they eat in order to help the cells obtain the energy from it, in the form of glucose or sugar. Through digestion, the food we eat breaks down into smaller and smaller elements down to glucose molecules, which are what the cells “eat” or use as fuel.  

In order for the glucose to be able to penetrate the cells, the action of a hormone called insulin is required. Insulin is like a key that opens a door in the cell to enable the sugar or glucose to enter. In people with diabetes, this mechanism does not work properly or there is not enough insulin to open the door, or the cell doesn’t “hear” that someone is knocking on the door.

Sugar that doesn’t penetrate the cells remains in the bloodstream. This makes the person very thirsty, because the body wants to get rid of this sugar and therefore urinates very frequently. Besides, there is permanent fatigue, because the cells are not receiving their fuel.  

Types of diabetes

There are three types of diabetes: type I, type II and gestational diabetes and although the results of each of them are the same - sugar cannot penetrate the cells - the causes of the illness are different.  

Type I diabetes is the most severe. When a person has type I diabetes, she cannot secrete insulin. The cells in charge of secreting insulin are destroyed by the immune system and it is necessary to inject insulin in order to survive. It is also diabetes that has its onset before the person turns 20. That’s why it’s also known as juvenile diabetes.

Type II diabetes is the most common, both amongst Latinos and the population at large. Although in this type of diabetes enough insulin is secreted, the cells cannot manage it properly. In order to compensate for that, the pancreas secretes more insulin and eventually loses the capacity to secrete it. People with type II diabetes usually have a family history of this illness and tend to be overweight.  In general this type of diabetes may be controlled with diet and exercise, but there are cases when it is necessary to take medication in order to compensate for the lack of insulin.  

Gestational diabetes only happens during pregnancy and it is due to the interaction of pregnancy hormones with insulin production. The problem is that excess sugar in the bloodstream may affect the baby. Although this illness disappears after giving birth, people with a family history of diabetes are at a higher risk of developing type II diabetes after having given birth.  

Diabetes: a silent illness.

Because the symptoms of diabetes do not manifest clearly until the illness is already present, it is very difficult to detect, unless specific tests are done. In the case of Latinos, there is also a genetic predisposition towards suffering diabetes, added to the fact that most of us don’t have regular medical coverage and therefore don’t undergo regular check-ups that could detect it early on.  

If you are trying to conceive and don’t know for sure if you could be suffering from this illness, it is important that you see your doctor for a physical. This is because excess sugar in the bloodstream early in pregnancy could affect the baby’s development. The baby’s organs and basic structures are formed in the first few weeks of pregnancy. A high glucose level in the bloodstream is related to malformations and miscarriages.

It is possible to treat diabetes and have a healthy pregnancy and baby. Besides the diet and exercise required to control type II diabetes, you may require medication that you can take during pregnancy. Your doctor will give you the appropriate treatment.  

Besides the risks for the baby’s development, diabetes also puts your health at risk. The high levels of blood sugar imply a greater risk for developing kidney, eye, circulatory and other problems.  

Symptoms of diabetes

One of the most common symptoms of diabetes is the fatigue it causes, because the cells cannot use the glucose they need. Other common symptoms:  

• Constant thirst. Sugar is in the bloodstream and the body tries to eliminate it through urine.

• Frequent urination. Due to the large amounts of water the diabetic drinks and the kidney’s efforts to eliminate sugar, the need to urinate is very frequent during the day and at night.

• Greater appetite. As the cells are not receiving the proper nutrients, diabetics feel hungry even after having eaten.

• Wounds that don’t heal. It’s important to check the soles of your feet frequently because any wound in this area takes a long time to heal and they usually get infected. The immune system is also affected by the excess sugar in the bloodstream.