Answers to your questions about the risks of diabetes. Who is at risk for diabetes, are you? Read this and find out!
Nearly 800,000 people will be diagnosed with one form of diabetes this year. Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death from a disease in the United States. (American Diabetes Association)
There are several different types of this disease:
* Type 1 Diabetes only inflicts children from birth to early 20's. It is an auto-immune disease that makes it nearly impossible for the child to produce any insulin at all.
* Type 2 Diabetes is metabolic in origin and is prevalent in adults age 25 and up. This type effects the ability for adults to produce and utilize insulin. Nearly 95% of all diabetes cases are of this type.
* Gestational Diabetes only effects pregnant women. The symptoms disappear after giving birth, but the woman is at a much higher risk for later developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Am I at risk for Diabetes?
Answer some of these questions and you will become better informed about your chances of developing Diabetes.
1. Are you overweight?
2. Does one of your siblings have diabetes?
3. Do you think that you could use more exercise?
· How often do you exercise?
· Do you walk or workout every day, three times a week, or rarely?
4. Do one of your parents have diabetes?
· If you answered any of these questions with a "yes" then you may be at risk for Diabetes.
What can I do to prevent Diabetes?
· Maintain a very active lifestyle. You should be physically active each and every day. Workout or walk at least three times a week.
· This means that you must eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains.
· If you are overweight, try to lose weight. Consult your doctor for tips on eating right.
· Learn the symptoms of diabetes!
What are the symptoms of Diabetes?
· Increased thirst
· Weight loss or weight gain in some cases
· Increased urination
· Extreme tiredness or lethargy after eating a big meal
· For more symptoms consult your physician.
Just because a family member has diabetes, does that mean that there is nothing that I can do to help prevent diabetes?
· Of course not! You can do your best to avoid diabetes by making sure that you exercise regularly, eat right, and watch for any symptom of diabetes.
· Even if a person develops diabetes, many times he or she can control this disease with diet.
· You can not base everything on genetics. There may be additional factors why your relative is a diabetic. Perhaps that person is overweight or sedentary, meaning that they rarely exercise.
If I am diagnosed with Diabetes, how can I minimize the effects of the disease?
Many Diabetics are able to control the disease with diet and exercise. Some patients are even able to avoid the use of insulin injections or other insulin medications. There are many diabetics who were even taken off of insulin after they modified their eating habits and became more active. The key to dealing with this disease is early detection.
Where can I learn more about Diabetes?
· You can find books on diabetes at your local library.
· Try looking up diabetes in an Internet search engine.
· You can ask your doctor.
· There are many not for profit organizations for diabetes. You can find these in your local yellow pages under diabetes.
