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November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and have important conversations about the potential warning signs of diabetes. 

In the United States, 1.2 million people are diagnosed with diabetes every year, according to the American Diabetes Association. Of those, an estimated 352,000 Americans diagnosed with diabetes are under age 20. 

WMed Health Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes provides comprehensive care for patients with diabetes and endocrine disorders including thyroid disorders, adrenal disorders, bone disorders, calcium disorders, disorders of growth or puberty, and pituitary disorders. The care team includes a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, a nurse practitioner, dietitians, certified diabetes educators, an endocrine nurse, and a social worker. 

“We focus on the patient and the family and their needs,” said Berrin Egrun-Longmire, MD, FAAP, chief of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at the medical school. “Diagnosis of diabetes changes the lives of patients and families.  We help families to understand diabetes and educate them to gain survival skills so they can take care of themselves and their chronic condition without it interfering with their daily lives.” 

Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is most seen in children and adolescents, though it can develop in anyone at any age. Symptoms are often sudden and include excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme fatigue, increased hunger, and weight loss – even though you are eating more. 

Type 2 diabetes, meanwhile, is caused by excessive calorie intake, where a patient can gain excessive weight and become insulin resistant. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, the onset of Type 2 diabetes is subtle, and the only signs may be darkening around the neck, excessive weight and a strong family history of Type 2 diabetes, according to Dr. Longmire. 

A pediatrician can perform the initial screening for diabetes on a patient before referring the patient to WMed Health. 

WMed Health Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes is accepting new patients at 1000 Oakland Drive in Kalamazoo. A referral from a pediatrician is required. 

For more information, call 269.337.6435 or visit /wmedhealth/pedsendo.