Diabetes and High Blood Sugar
About 90% of people who have diabetes have Type II diabetes. This usually occurs in adulthood (not always), and is strongly associated with obesity and a family history of diabetes. About 30% of people who have Type II diabetes eventually require insulin, but often it can be controlled through diet, exercise and medication. The incidence of diabetes is higher in some ethnic groups: Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American Indians are especially prone to developing diabetes. It tends to have a more gradual onset; you can have diabetes for years and go untreated. This is why it is so important not to ignore “mildly elevated” blood sugar and take action to prevent diabetes.
A Silent Disease
Symptoms may be mild or nonexistent in some people, it can be a “silent” disease. In other cases, the symptoms are quite obvious: frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss without other explanation, general fatigue, and frequent vaginal infections in woman. The word “diabetes” comes from the Greek word for siphon - describing the symptoms of drinking water and then urinating constantly like a siphon, flowing water in and out.
The diagnosis for diabetes depends upon the level of blood sugar or plasma glucose. Normal blood sugar is about 60-115 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) in the fasting state. It is normal to have some blood glucose in the blood, and abnormal to have too much or too little. The brain requires blood glucose for normal function. If blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia) the brain’s function is impaired and coma can result. It is normal for blood sugar to rise after eating, but in diabetes, the blood sugar rises higher and stays high longer than in people without diabetes. New criteria for diagnosis is a fasting blood sugar of 126 mg/dl or more,. or a non fasting or “random” blood sugar over 200 with symptoms.
How to decrease your risk of Diabetes
First of all, if you are overweight, and have a family history of diabetes, you already have two risk factors for this disease. Please have your blood sugar checked!Often, there are screenings for diabetes at drug stores throughout the year or tell you doctor you want to be checked for diabetes. Have your blood checked periodically if you are at risk, and discuss the signs and symptoms with your doctor.
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Secondly, if you are overweight and do not have diabetes, losing weight (even 10 or 20 pounds) can reduce your risk of developing diabetes. If you already have diabetes, diet and exercise are cornerstones to treatment and control of blood sugar. T
here’s no getting around it! Diet and exercise are the way to go for a long and healthy life.
