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There are approximately 17 million Americans living with diabetes, of which over 11 million have been diagnosed and are working to control the disease. Yet the other 6 million Americans are still unaware that they have diabetes and are at risk for developing serious complications. Could you be one of them?
Type 1 diabetes occurs when cells in the pancreas are damaged and produce little or no insulin. Patients with type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections to control their blood sugar. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes may begin subtly but become more severe as the disease progresses. These symptoms include:
Increased thirst
Increased hunger (especially after eating)
Frequent urination
Unexplained weight loss (even though eating and feeling hungry)
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Irritability
Numbness or tingling of hands or feet
Loss of consciousness (rare)
Patients with type 2 diabetes continue to produce insulin. The insulin produced is either insufficient for their needs or does not work properly in the body. The majority of patients with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. In some patients, type 2 diabetes can be controlled by lifestyle modification (weight loss, exercise). In other patients, medication or insulin may be required. Often the symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop very gradually. They may include development of the above symptoms or may also include:
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Slow healing of cuts or sores
Yeast infections
Recent weight gain
Itching of the skin (usually in the groin or vaginal area)
The cause of diabetes is not known but certain groups tend to be more at risk for developing the disease. There are risk factors that can increase your chance of getting diabetes:
A family history of diabetes
Race or ethnic background (African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are more likely to develop diabetes)
Being 20% or more over your ideal body weight
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Age (your risk increases progressively as you get older)
Heavy alcohol use
Smoking
If any of these signs or symptoms sound familiar, particularly if you also have some of the above risk factors, please contact your physician. More information is available from your Hen House Pharmacist or from www.diabetes.org.
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