How serious is Diabetes?
Very!
The statistics are alarming…
* It affects 29.1 million people, or 9.3% of the US population.
* Of these, 21 million people are diagnosed, and another 8.1 million people or 27.8% of people affected by are undiagnosed.
* Among US residents aged 65 years and older, 11.8 million, or 25.9%, had the disease (diagnosed and undiagnosed).
* It is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States.
* It is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
* It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
The early symptoms of untreated diabetes mellitus are related to the elevated blood glucose levels. Excess glucose in the blood ultimately results in high levels of glucose being present in the urine (glucosuria).
This increases the urine output, which leads to dehydration and increased thirst. Other symptoms include extreme tiredness, weight loss, blurred vision, itchy skin and repeated minor infections such as thrush and boils.
More than 79 million Americans aged 20 years or older have a prediabetes.
Prediabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. People with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Unfortunately the development of prediabetes and its complications hits hard during the working years.
Type I develops very quickly. The classic signs include:
1. Frequent urination, because the body is trying to get rid of the excess sugar in the blood
2. Intense thirst, because the body needs to replace the fluid lost through the urine
3. Increased hunger, because the cells need nutrients
4. Weight loss, because without insulin, the body begins to starve. The onset of Type 2 diabetes is often very gradual and may develop without any symptoms at all.
Sadly, the diagnosis most often is made only after a complication of the disease happens.
More than 30 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 10), and 90% to 95% of them have type 2.
Type 2 most often develops in people over age 45, but more and more children, teens, and young adults are also developing it.
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in your body for use as energy. If you have type 2, cells do not respond normally to insulin; this is called insulin resistance. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond.
Eventually your pancreas cannot keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. High blood sugar is damaging to the body and can cause other serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease
Type 2 diabetes symptoms often develop over several years and can go on for a long time without being noticed (sometimes there are not any noticeable symptoms at all).
Another form, known as gestational diabetes, occurs in some women during pregnancy.
It is a temporary condition caused by pregnancy and usually occurs in the later stages, once the baby has formed but is still growing.
Diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death, but diabetics can take steps to control the disease and lower the risk of complications. Managing the disease is possible with proper medical care, support, and motivation.
Although there is currently no cure for diabetes mellitus, it can be controlled successfully with an active treatment plan.
Ask your health care providers for a referral to a diabetic self-management education program, preferably an American Diabetes Association Recognized Education Program or a program accredited by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.