Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Diabetes puts you at increased risk for heart attack or stroke. If the disease is not properly managed, you also risk nerve damage, amputation, blindness or kidney failure.
WARNING SIGNS
Because in the early stages there are no symptoms, diabetes often goes undiagnosed. Nearly one-third of people in the United States with diabetes are unaware they have the disease. If you have one or more of these diabetes symptoms, see your doctor right away.
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unusual weight loss
- Increased fatigue
- Irritability
- Blurry vision
Even if you have no symptoms, have your doctor run a blood glucose test at your yearly check-up.
RISK FACTORS
Uncontrollable Factors. These are traits with which a person is born and cannot be changed. Uncontrollable risk factors closely linked to diabetes include:
- Age. Type 1 usually occurs before the age of 30, whereas type 2 often occurs after age 45.
- Family history.
- Race.
- Sex. Though males make up slightly less than half the U.S. population, they account for 53 percent of the adult cases of diabetes, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Controllable factors. These factors that can be changed by an individual. Some risk factors that can be reduced include:
- Weight. Excess weight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, double diabetes and gestational diabetes.
- Lifestyle. Low activity levels and poor exercise habits place a person at high risk for diabetes, particularly type 2 and double diabetes. Stress can also contribute.
- Smoking and alcohol. By not smoking and limiting the use of alcohol, individuals can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In other types of diabetes, avoiding these elements can help prevent further medical complications.
Assess your risk for diabetes.
PREVENTIVE BEHAVIORS
There are things you can do to reduce your risk of developing diabetes or to reverse early diabetes:
- Drop some pounds. Even extremely overweight people lowered their risk of diabetes by 70 percent when they lost just five percent of their weight – even if they didn’t exercise. If you weigh 175 pounds, that’s a little less than nine pounds.
- Cut the fat. Get less than 30 percent of your daily calories from fat (less than 10 percent from saturated fat), to a daily maximum of 42 grams of fat.
- Eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains. Aim for nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Try to make at least half of your grain choices (including breads, rice, pasta) whole grain to raise your fiber intake still higher.
- Stop smoking.
- Get moving. If you have diabetes, studies show that walking just over eight blocks a day can slash your risk of dying by more than one-third. Go a little farther, and you'll cut your risk by up to 50 percent. America's Diabetes Prevention Program aims for just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. Walking improves insulin sensitivity for better blood-sugar control, raises good HDL cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure and reduces stress.
SCREENING TESTS
Your doctor can do a simple blood glucose test to determine if you have diabetes.
IF YOU HAVE DIABETES
It’s possible to live a long and healthy life with diabetes if you learn how to manage the disease to avoid complications such as blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage or amputation.
A good place to start is with Evergreen’s Diabetes Education Program. The four-part series, taught by Certified Diabetes Educators, provides patients with a clear understanding of the disease, along with how to eat for diabetes, how to identify and resolve problem blood-sugar patterns, what preventive tests need to be done and when to call the doctor. Individual consultations are available for those who are unable to do the series.
For more information on Evergreen’s Diabetes Education Program, please call 425.899.3008.
Diabetes PHD (Personal Health Decisions) can help you explore the effects of a wide variety of health care interventions, including losing weight, stopping smoking, and taking certain medications can have on your diabetes.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Diabetes Care at Evergreen
American Diabetes Association
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