While November is known as Diabetes Awareness Month, nearly 350,000 Mississippians battle the deadly disease on a daily basis.

Greg Stueve, an RN CDE (certified diabetes educator) at South Central Regional Medical Center, said Laurel/Jones County has higher percentage of diabetes than most areas in the state outside of the Delta.

“This area is very heavily ridden,” he said. “It’s a big burden on people.”

Stueve, who runs a monthly diabetes support group at the hospital, said the disease does not discriminate, although it is known mostly for affecting senior citizens.

“I’m seeing new cases of diabetes coming from three year olds all the way up to 90 years old,” he said. “It’s affecting every age group.”

Stueve, who has been a diabetic since age 12, noted that the holiday season is the “most challenging time of the year” for diabetics.

“Everywhere you look, it’s sweet and high carbohydrate stuff like dressing and dumplings; everything we love,” he said. “Prevention is the main goal for diabetes because, once you get the problems, they’re there. The best prevention is just exercising and keeping your weight down.”

Julia Starrett is the Southern Regional Manager of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi, a non-profit organization that distributes disease information statewide.

“Our mission is to fund research, provide services and education to people of all ages in Mississippi and send children with diabetes to camp,” she said. “Through our Helping Hands program, we provide medical supplies and medication to people with little to no insurance.”

Starrett said the Diabetes Foundation also offers a school program called Sweet Subject, which educates teachers and staff about diabetes.

“We tell them what it looks like and what to do if a child is experiencing symptoms,” she said. “We teach them how to handle the situation if a child has high or low blood sugar.”

Starrett noted that the organization also provides free screenings for churches and other groups that bring them in.

“People could be living with diabetes and be unaware,” she said. “We try to go to the smaller churches in outer areas where people don’t go to the doctor that often because they don’t have access to transportation.”

Starrett said there is a lot of confusion about what diabetes is.

“Basically, it’s when someone has high blood sugar,” she said. “When someone has diabetes, their body is either not producing insulin or not producing enough insulin to be efficient. You need insulin when you eat carbs or sugar. Your body turns that into energy.

Without insulin, you’re not getting the energy you need and sugar is staying in your blood,” Starrett added. “Your blood turns into a molasses-like substance, which is hard for your veins and body to circulate. It’s so important for people living with diabetes to keep their blood sugar or blood glucose under control.”

Starrett noted that there are two types of diabetes — appropriately called Type 1 and Type 2.

“Children are usually diagnosed with Type 1 because their pancreas does not produce insulin,” she said. “Adults can develop Type 2 for a number of different reasons. As we get older, our cells become more insulin resistant, and you need more insulin to get that sugar into your cells.”

Starrett added that there are number of other groups at-risk for the disease including:

• Certain ethnic groups including African-American, Asian, American Indian and Hispanic/Latino

• Those overweight

• Women who have delivered one or more babies weighing 9 pounds or more

• Those with family member with diabetes, such as a parent or sibling

“It puts you more at risk, and it’s something to watch for,” Starrett said.

Starrett noted that those living with diabetes should be extra careful during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

“It’s really important to eat a balanced meal,” she said. “You’re not particularly cutting one particular food out of your menu. It’s more of a balance. It’s also important to incorporate vegetables.”

The Laurel Diabetes Support Group meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. at South Central Place, located on 16th Ave. near Kroger. For more information, call 601-426-4700.