What are 1.5 million Americans, and 7,000 Delawareans, diagnosed with every
year? Diabetes. That's according to the American Diabetes Association
(ADA). You may know multiple people who have it—diabetes affects
so many people that it has become almost ordinary. But it doesn’t
have to be. With a smart, common-sense approach to personal health, anyone
can lower their risk.
Healthline, an online provider of health information, offers a few easy
everyday suggestions to guard against developing diabetes:
Incorporate regular exercise into your routine, whether that means hitting
the gym, going on a walk or playing a pickup game in the park. And avoid
sedentary behaviors—like sitting for extended periods watching TV.
Get up and get moving!
Make water your go-to drink to stay hydrated and avoid extra sugar.
Watch portion sizes at meals and incorporate high fiber and whole grains
into your diet.
Losing 7% of your body weight lowers your risk by more than 50%, according
to the ADA. These three easy practices will help you keep your weight
in a healthy range—and keep your risk of diabetes low.
If you feel you may be at risk, ask your healthcare provider to test for
prediabetes. With prediabetes, your blood sugar levels are higher than
normal but not high enough to diagnose as Type 2 diabetes. Your provider
may want to do a test of your A1C levels, an oral glucose tolerance test
or plasma glucose tests.
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll want to gather
a team of healthcare experts to help manage your symptoms. This team should
include your primary care provider, who knows you best and can direct
you to other professionals. You’ll want a dietitian to help you
establish healthy eating habits, a pharmacist to help you choose the right
medication and a certified diabetes educator to answer any questions you
may have. Secondary doctors to have in mind are your eye doctor, dentist
and podiatrist; they can watch for any complications diabetes may cause
to your vision, oral health or feet.
According to the ADA, diabetes does remain the seventh-leading cause of
death in the United States. Recognizing symptoms early can reduce the
possibility of serious complications. Symptoms can include frequent urination,
feeling very thirsty or very hungry although you’ve been eating/hydrating,
extreme fatigue, blurry vision, or cuts/bruises that are slow to heal,
as well as abnormal weight loss in Type 1 patients and pain or numbness
in the hands and feet for Type 2 patients.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, let Saint Francis
Healthcare help by testing for diabetes and making sure that your personal
health is the best it can be.