This week we celebrated American Diabetes Association Alert Day, a one-day call to action – held the fourth Tuesday of every March – asking people to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
The harsh reality is that many Americans are unaware they are at high risk or already suffer from type 2 diabetes. Some groups are particularly susceptible to developing the condition, including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, as well as the aged population.
Diabetes increases the risk for many serious health problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, neuropathy, skin infections, hypertension, stroke, depression and hearing loss. Diabetes can be especially hard on women because the disease can cause difficulties during pregnancy and women with diabetes are also more prone to heart attack at a younger age. The prevalence of diabetes is at least 2 – 4 times higher among African American and Hispanic women than among white women. Men with diabetes are prone to depression and sexual dysfunction.
Symptoms of diabetes depend on the type of diabetes and the uniqueness of the patient. Most patients with type 2 diabetes do not have any symptoms that can be specifically identified as diabetes symptoms.
The development of type 2 diabetes is a slow and progressive process. The elevation in blood sugar is usually not as dramatic and rapid as in early phases of type 1. This is why many people go without treatment for so long and, when detected, already have organ damage from it.
The only reliable way to diagnose type 2 diabetes early is to get tested for it. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Remember that undiagnosed elevated blood sugar levels damage your body’s organs without you knowing about it.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that everyone above age 45 be tested for diabetes at least every three years if they do not have any of the risk factors. Anyone with the risk factors such as being overweight or having a family history of diabetes should be tested every three years regardless of their age.
At Impact Urgent Care we want you to be at your healthiest all the time and we urge you to take the Diabetes Risk Test today!
Source: diabetes.org
