Diabetes affects nearly 21 million Americans, according to November 2005 statistics from the American Diabetes Association. It's a condition that requires constant control and attention, or else sufferers may face complications.

Taking good care of diabetes can lower the chances of getting:

• Eye disease that can lead to a loss of vision or even blindness
• Kidney failure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Nerve damage that may cause a loss of feeling or pain in the hands, feet, legs, or other parts of the body

Stephen Furst is perhaps best known as Flounder in the movie "Animal House." What people don't know is that Furst almost lost part of his foot to amputation because he ignored the complications of diabetes.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and as Furst knows, awareness can mean the difference between life and death. Each year, 86,000 Americans undergo amputation due to nerve damage -- the medical term is neuropathy -- caused by diabetes, and experts say half of those amputations may have been prevented with proper awareness.

Very often, people with diabetes lose sensation in a leg and suffer a wound that may lead to amputation if left untreated. Furst developed severe wounds because he could not feel his injuries in the first place. That is why he now campaigns for awareness.

Experts at Wound Care Centers, which treat people with chronic wounds related to diabetes, offer the following tips to diabetics:

• Never walk around in your home without shoes.
• Make sure there are no foreign objects in your shoes.
• Make sure your shoes fit properly and are the right size.
• See a podiatrist regularly.

• Read more on diabetes complications from DiabetesNet.com.
  
• 7 Principles For Good Diabetes Care