Signs That You May Have Diabetes
By Paul Rothbart
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects your blood sugar levels by slowing the production of insulin or impacting your body's sensitivity to it. Your digestive system breaks down food into glucose, a simple sugar. The pancreas then produces insulin which helps process that sugar into energy for the body's cells. Diabetes interferes with that and your body's blood sugar levels remain too high. If it continues to be high for too long, it can cause kidney disease, heart disease, and vision loss. Unfortunately, people with diabetes sometimes must have limbs amputated.
Types of Diabetes
There are two types of diabetes that can affect anyone. There is a third that only threatens pregnant women. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body shuts down the production of insulin. It is less common, affecting only 5-10 percent of all people with diabetes. It is more common in children, teens, and young adults and there is no known way to prevent it. People with type 1 must inject insulin for the rest of their lives.
Type 2 diabetes is much more and preventable. It occurs when you develop a resistance to insulin making it less effective in lowering blood sugar. It happens more to adults and can take years to develop. If you suspect you are at risk, a blood sugar test is important to diagnose the problem so it can be treated.
Symptoms of Diabetes
There are some common symptoms that occur in a diabetic person. Since the body tries to flush excess sugar out of it, you may find yourself urinating much more frequently than you normally do. This can cause dehydration resulting in dry itchy skin and constant thirst. Diabetes can cause your body to get insufficient energy from food, so you may experience sudden weight loss or extreme hunger. If you have cuts on your skin, they may take longer to heal. This is because high blood sugar can slow down the blood flow needed for healing.
Prediabetes
Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but haven't reached the level of diabetes yet. About a third of American adults have prediabetes and many are not aware of it. If you have prediabetes you are at greater risk for type 2. You can prevent your condition from progressing by making lifestyle changes that include a healthy diet and exercise.
Diabetes is not a disease to take lightly. If you have symptoms, see your primary care physician and get your blood tested. If you have diabetes, you need a program to manage. If you've got prediabetes, you want to live a lifestyle that will prevent it from becoming type 2 diabetes.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Lawrenceville, Ga.