What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a health condition which affects more than 37 million people in the US; 23% of adults with diabetes do not know they have it. In those without diabetes, food is converted to glucose and the body produces insulin to help your cells use the glucose as energy. If you have diabetes, your body does not produce enough insulin, or your system does not process it properly.

Types of diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes:

Prediabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than they should be but not quite high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Approximately 96 million people in the US have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 80% don’t know they have it. If your doctor tells you that you have prediabetes, it is your wake-up call to take action.

Risks of diabetes

While there is no cure for diabetes, the disease can be managed. For those with Type 1 diabetes, technology like insulin pumps and continuous monitoring devices have made disease management a little easier. Type 2 diabetics can often take steps to reverse increasing blood sugar levels or prevent the onset of the disease. Losing weight – even 5% of your body weight, eating a healthy diet and exercising can all help prevent or delay progression of the disease.

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Kidney damage
• Amputation
• Nerve damage
• Blindness

It is also important to know that if you have diabetes and become ill with diseases like COVID-19 or the flu, your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death increases.

Symptoms of Diabetes

If you have symptoms of diabetes, get tested! Early intervention may reduce the risk of long-term health problems. Here are some of the symptoms:

• Increased thirst or hunger
• Frequent urination
• Unintended weight loss
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Slow-healing sores
• Frequent infections
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
• Erectile dysfunction

Next Steps

If you have prediabetes, follow your doctor’s advice on changing your diet, exercising, and losing weight. You may also wish to sign up for a class like Life in 24, a Diabetes Prevention Program to help people who have pre-diabetes or who are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes make realistic and achievable lifestyle changes that can cut their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 50%. Take this pre-diabetes test to evaluate your risk for developing diabetes. For further information about the program, please contact Rebecca Oakes at roakes2@guilfordcountync.gov.

For those with a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, a healthy diet, exercise, and losing weight will also help, though you may also need to take medications and test your blood sugar regularly to manage your disease.

If you are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, you will need maintain regular appointments with your primary care doctor and other medical specialists, such as an endocrinologist, to help you manage the disease.