Stroke, heart attack, blindness, kidney failure and amputation are only a few of the life-changing effects diabetes can have on your body. These complications should warrant the close monitoring of blood glucose (sugar) levels and lifestyle habits, but all too often, diabetes is neglected and not taken seriously.
Signs you could have diabetes
A high blood glucose level is the number one sign of diabetes. However, according to Mary Ransbotham, RN, CDE, manager of the Piedmont Diabetes Resource Center, sometimes high blood glucose levels can go undetected because when patients get blood work done, they are asked to fast, which will alter the true reading.
“Often patients have diabetes for six to seven years before they even know it,” Ransbotham says. “In some ways it is a silent disease."
Other signs you may have diabetes:
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Being tired
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Increased thirst
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Unexplained weight loss
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Increased urination
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Blurred vision
Talk to your physician about your risk factors. Schedule your annual physical with a Piedmont primary care physician. Save time, book online.
How common is diabetes?
In the United States, 30.3 million adults have diabetes, and another 84.1 million have prediabetes. Those with prediabetes have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
How diabetes affects the body
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, and it occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or cells ignore the insulin. This prevents the body from breaking down and using glucose properly for energy, which is needed for normal body functions.
“Diabetes education is key to detecting and managing diabetes,” Ransbotham says. “This disease is very complicated. It affects your entire nervous and vascular systems. It’s important to know all the factors that play a role in your diabetes from monitoring blood glucose, reading nutrition labels, insulin delivery, and much more.”
How to manage or prevent diabetes
While everybody has different body types and genetics, basic healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent serious diabetes complications. Ransbotham says it is important for everyone, with or without diabetes, to:
She cautions that these can be big lifestyle changes.
“People will set themselves up for failure if they try to undo years and years of bad habits overnight. A gradual shift to a healthier lifestyle is more productive and will have lasting benefits.”
Piedmont offers diabetes treatment and education services at its Atlanta, Fayette and Henry campuses.
Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online.