How to identify the warning signs of diabetes
Diabetes is an insulin-related disease that affects about 21 million people in the United States. This serious condition is characterized by the body’s inability to produce or use enough insulin. It is the hormone, insulin, that is responsible for removing glucose from the cells of the body. When blood glucose levels rise, our health suffers greatly.
According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), about 14.6 million people in the US have been diagnosed with the disease, while about 6 million remain undiagnosed. In a 2005 NDIC report, their results included totals for people with diabetes of all ages, since anyone from the elderly to young children can experience diabetes symptoms. In general, patients with type 2 diabetes are usually diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 50.
Diabetes symptoms
There are numerous signs that alert a person that they may be suffering from diabetes. Common diabetes symptoms may occur en masse or a patient may exhibit only a few. Whatever the case, when any of the following symptoms of diabetes occur, patients should contact their doctor.
People should watch out for: frequent urination, extreme hunger or thirst, blurred vision, sudden weight loss, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, fatigue, excessively dry skin, increased infections, and slow-healing wounds. People who have symptoms of type 1 diabetes include nausea, vomiting, and/or stomach pain.
different types of diabetes
If the symptoms you experience turn out to be the disease, you will be diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5-10% of diagnosed diabetes cases, in which the immune system actually destroys the body’s cells that produce insulin. This type of diabetes may also be called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes. Most patients with the disease are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which involves the body’s resistance to insulin. There is another type of diabetes, but it only affects 2-5% of pregnant women. It’s called gestational diabetes, and it has the potential to harm both mother and child when left untreated.
Diabetes Management
When accompanied by regular exercise and the right medication, healthy eating habits can alleviate the symptoms of diabetes. Through a balanced diet, filled with a healthy mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, proper nutrition can be used as a defense against diabetes-related symptoms. Acceptable foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, beans, 2% milk, and lean meats. Fried foods and highly sweetened foods should be avoided when diabetes is diagnosed.
Seeking treatment is important
When you suspect that you are exhibiting symptoms of diabetes, an immediate visit to a doctor is needed. This is because, when diabetes goes untreated, a series of debilitating health problems soon arise. Since foot problems tend to affect patients with diabetes, there are many concerns in this area, including infections, amputations, and gangrene. Eye problems are also common among diabetics. If left untreated, blindness can occur. Additional health problems associated with the symptoms of untreated diabetes include heart disease and kidney failure. The disease is so serious that it is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.