(ARA) – Are you taking risks with your life without even knowing it? You may be one of the nearly 6 million Americans who have type 2 diabetes and don’t even know it. 

Diabetes affects nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States and another 57 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. If you don’t know the risk factors or symptoms for diabetes, you may very well be risking your life to this silent killer. 

Diabetes is a silent killer because many people can live with the disease for years and never find out that they have it until they start experiencing diabetes-related damage that can lead to a heart attack, stroke, vision problems or kidney disease. In fact, most people with type 2 diabetes do not notice the symptoms because some signs of diabetes aren’t easy to recognize. Symptoms of diabetes include: 

* Being very thirsty 
* Urinating often 
* Losing weight without trying 
* Having vision problems, such as blurred vision 

Diabetes is a serious disease, but early diagnosis and treatment can help people with diabetes live healthy and active lives. A person’s risk for diabetes goes up as they get older, gain weight, or if they do not stay active. So how can you find out if you might be at risk for diabetes? Risk factors include: 

* Being overweight or obese 
* Not being physically active 
* Having a family history of diabetes 
* Having high blood pressure 
* Having diabetes during pregnancy or having a baby weighing more than 9 pounds at birth 
* Being older than 45 years of age 

Diabetes is also more common in African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

To find out if you or a loved one are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you can take the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Risk Test. This is a simple test that asks questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risk factors for diabetes. Based on your response, you can find out whether you are at low, moderate or high risk for diabetes. You can take the test online at www.diabetes.org/alert or by phone (in English or Spanish) at (800) DIABETES (800-342-2383). 

If you find that you are at high risk for having diabetes, talk with your doctor to find out for sure. Only your doctor can determine if you have diabetes. 

To learn more about diabetes risk factors, diagnosis and treatment, or to take the Diabetes Risk Test, visit the American Diabetes Association’s Web site at www.diabetes.org or call (800) DIABETES (800-342-2383). 

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Related posts:

1. Help stop diabetes, one step at a time (ARA) – This fall, thousands of people nationwide will...
2. Athletes with Diabetes Take Their Message on the Road (ARA) – A group of amateur and professional athletes, many...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Diabetes is a disease that is affected or caused by the minimal production of insulin in the pancreas or the inability of the body to accept or process insulin properly when it is distributed. Diabetes is a disease that is usually passed through the genes of a family. If your family has many diabetics, it is best to familiarize yourself with the common symptoms of diabetes and to be vigilant.

Diabetes usually affects obese people with genes that make them prone to diabetes. Some medical practitioners consider the girth of an individual as one of the symptoms of diabetes. This is because the additional fats may affect the function of the pancreas which is where insulin is manufactures. Insulin is a hormone that helps in regulating blood sugar levels in our bodies. It is an essential hormone that we need for our body to function well.

What To Look Out For

There are plenty of symptoms of diabetes since diabetes comes in several categories. Many symptoms of diabetes are similar in most categories and these basic symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, a feeling of great thirst resulting in increased liquid intake and in some individuals, blurred vision. Other symptoms of diabetes are an increasing feeling of fatigue, weight loss and maybe weight gain.

Although not all symptoms of diabetes may manifest themselves in an individual, most of them do. There are also some symptoms of diabetes that can be quite serious such as a coma, the inability of wounds to heal fast and properly and cardiovascular disease or stroke. The distribution of blood to the parts of the body can be affected because diabetes affects the blood vessels and arteries. This is one of the complications that usually affect diabetics.

If you have no idea if your family has a history of diabetes, you might try to see if some of your family members are manifesting symptoms of diabetes. You could also be more vigilant regarding yourself and try to see if you are showing symptoms of diabetes. If you think you have some symptoms of diabetes, it is best to consult a medical practitioner to be diagnosed properly along with some tests that need to be run.

Early detection of the condition will help you manage or control it better. Some individuals are in fact in a pre-diabetes stage before entering a full blown diabetic stage due to minimal management of the disease. It is best to get on a healthy lifestyle and diet to be bale to avoid being diabetic.

Related posts:

1. Ignoring Diabetes is Risky Business (ARA) – Are you taking risks with your life without...
2. Help stop diabetes, one step at a time (ARA) – This fall, thousands of people nationwide will...
3. Athletes with Diabetes Take Their Message on the Road (ARA) – A group of amateur and professional athletes, many...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.