Diabetes can occur in anyone. Diabetes is a disease in which the body is unable to properly use and store glucose (a form of sugar). Glucose backs up in the bloodstream, causing one’s blood glucose (blood sugar) to rise too high.
Facts and Statistics
According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 26 million people in the United States have diabetes, and another 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, adult-onset blindness, lower limb amputations, significant causes of heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, and nerve damage.
Types
There are two major types of diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the body stops producing any insulin, a hormone that enables the body to use glucose found in foods for energy. Type 2 diabetes results when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and/or is unable to use insulin properly (insulin resistance).
Prediabetes
Prediabetes is almost always present before a person develops Type 2 diabetes. Being pre-diabetic means that blood glucose levels are higher than normal yet still too low to qualify for a diabetes diagnosis.
Warning Signs
It’s possible to notice certain warning signs of growing insulin resistance. Some signs can be measured, felt, and seen. Prediabetes warning signs include:
Feeling Lethargic After Eating
Ready to nap after a big meal? After eating, carbohydrates are broken down into the bloodstream as glucose, the body’s main energy source. When the blood containing the glucose reaches the pancreas, this organ gets the message to release insulin, which helps cells use or store energy. When cells stop receiving insulin, they can’t take in the glucose. As a result, glucose levels rise, so the pancreas produces more insulin. You then feel sleepy and may find it hard to think.
Craving Carbs
A drop in blood sugar causes energy levels to drop. The body is feeling fatigued. It craves a quick fix of energy to bring blood sugar back up. So, before you know it, you’re reaching for a pick-me-up beverage or food. Among the most craved foods are chocolate, chips, and French fries.
Overweight and Unable to Lose Extra Pounds
You try to cut back on calories and still can’t see the scale budge. The cells are starving because the glucose they need is not being absorbed at the insulin receptor site on the cell. A perceived fuel shortage causes the body will hold tightly onto existing stores of energy–fat. What is absorbed goes straight into storage as more fat.
Apple Body Shape
Added pounds in the midsection are associated with insulin resistance and prediabetes. For men, the danger point is considered to be a waist circumference of 40 inches or more; for women, it is 35 inches or more.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85, an HDL “healthy” cholesterol level below 40 mg/Dl for men and below 50 mg/Dl for women, and triglycerides of 150 mg/Dl are higher risk for diabetes.
Symptoms
- Excessive increased thirst,
- Excessive pangs of hunger,
- Rapid weight loss,
- Frequent urination,
- Constantly not feeling well,
- Distorted vision and seeing floaters or flashes of light,
- Itchy skin, the result of dry skin, poor circulation, or other skin conditions,
- Yeast and other fungal infections,
- Bruises, cuts, and infections that don’t quickly heal,
- Tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, along with burning pain or swelling.
Having any combination of the symptoms should not be ignored. So, if you have several of these symptoms, see your doctor. The best way to detect it is to have a blood sugar test. If the tests confirm prediabetes or diabetes, it may be an incentive for you to commit to the diet and exercise changes that can help move you.
Risk Factors
The primary risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes is obesity. Research shows that you can lower your risk for Type 2 diabetes by 58% by losing 5-7% of your body weight and exercising moderately 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Prevention
Fill your diet with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean sources of protein. Eating a healthy, calorie-reduced meal plan can assist in weight-loss efforts and may even help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure as well.
Increasing physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week is another thing you can do to help reduce your risk. Exercise can help you in your weight-loss efforts and may be beneficial to your heart, lungs, and emotional health.
Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Nutrition and Food Safety Educator
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