LAKEPORT, Calif. – In celebration of Diabetes Awareness Month, Sutter Lakeside Hospital will be hosting a Diabetes Awareness Day in the hospital conference room on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Registered nurses, registered dietitians and pharmacists will be available to test blood sugar, and discuss diabetes management, prevention and medication.

The Food and Nutrition Services department will demonstrate cooking a healthy meal and will provide healthy snacks for attendees.

Informational handouts and posters will also be provided, as well as a test to find out if you are at risk for developing diabetes.

Attendees are encouraged to bring his or her medication to the event.

Diabetes, a disease that affects nearly 30 million children and adults in the U.S., is on the rise. 86 million Americans show signs of pre-diabetes and are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

While type 1 is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, the more common type 2 diabetes develops over time when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin, according to the Mayo Clinic. Diagnosed diabetes costs $245 billion annually, with more diagnoses predicted.

California is home to more than 3 million diabetics, with a 38 percent increase in cases from 1998 to 2007, according to the Diabetes Coalition of California.

Eight percent of Lake County residents have type 2 diabetes which is the leading cause of blindness, amputation and kidney failure, and increases the risk of death by 200 percent compared to non-diabetics of the same age.

Symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, extreme thirst or hungry even while eating or drinking, blurry vision, slow healing bruises or cuts, extreme fatigue, weight loss (type 1), or tingling, pain or numbness in the hands or feet (type 2).

Complications of type 2 diabetes include nerve damage, skin dryness, ulcers, poor circulation, stroke, kidney disease, high blood pressure and gastro paresis (the stomach taking too long to empty its contents).

Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in children and young adults when the pancreas produces no insulin, and is not preventable, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5 percent of all diabetes diagnoses. Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable with a healthy diet of foods that are low in fat and calories and high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables and whole foods. 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, maintaining a healthy weight and body mass index, and not smoking also help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Healthy choices, such as losing 7 percent of total body weight if you’re overweight, can prevent a pre-diabetes diagnosis from becoming type 2 diabetes.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital is located at 5176 Hill Road East, Lakeport. Visit the hospital online at http://www.sutterlakeside.org/ .