Diabetes - Important Points You Should Know
Diabetes is sometimes a disease that has undiagnosed symptoms and many people are surprised at the physician's diagnosis. While it may not have symptoms that cause pain, the disease working in the background can have very serious consequences if left undetected. Please consider the heredity you have been given and educate yourself on the control and offsetting of the situation to overcome any predisposition to diabetes.
Some of the symptoms of diabetes include, but are not limited to:
1. Frequent bathroom trips
2. Excessive thirst
3. Extreme hunger
4. Unusual weight loss
5. Increased fatigue
6. Irritability
7. Blurry vision
Many people in the United States (over 20.8 million) have diabetes. A good estimate is that over 1/3 of these people are not yet diagnosed with diabetes. It is very important that these pre-diagnosis tests are done regularly so that early detection may help prevent serious consequences of the disease.
You may wonder if it is possible to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. After all, it can come from heredity, many people have it, it has been studied for years and you may feel if you are going to get it, then so be it. But, the symptoms are so random and often not noticed so that many pre-diabetics do not seek help. The two main components of preventing diabetes are those that will give you a lot of other benefits as well: exercise or just increasing your level of physical activity and proper nutrition in the diet.
You want to increase your fiber, your vegetables and proteins, and decrease your high sugar, high carbohydrate foods, and high fat foods. Even though it may seem daunting at first, you can make the proper choices with a little effort and proper planning.
Even people already diagnosed with diabetes and taking medication can sometimes revert to proper blood sugar levels with the addition of more, or consistent, physical activity and proper diet in their lives. Some studies have shown, in fact, that these two situations of diet and exercise can work as well as medications. Of course, you should not go off any medications unless you check with your physician first and have the proper normal readings on tests associated with diabetes levels.
Another important item to consider is an eye exam. This should be done every year to allow your doctor to catch any upcoming or progressing diseases, including diabetes. Early detection is very important as mentioned above. You have more of a chance to offset the disease by specific measures if you know you can keep control of your situation by simple problem solving techniques.
Conclusions to this educational article then are:
1. Maintain good health by searching out good food items and preparing them in a nutritious manner. If you need help, consult the American Diabetes Association, your local hospital, or your doctor's office.
2. Keep your weight at a normal level for your age and height. This is often hard to do, but even a 10% decrease in your weight brings great rewards.
3. Get tested regularly for diabetes, even if you show no symptoms, especially if the disease is inherent in your family tree.
4. Follow your doctor's recommendations regarding the medications and take them regularly until you have the diet and exercise under control. Then, maybe, you will be able to reduce or eliminate the medications.
5. If you notice any of the diabetes symptoms listed above, please get a fasting diabetes test as soon as possible to prevent the onset of any serious medical conditions that can be elevated or heightened by diabetes such as stroke or joint problems.
Research the diabetes problem in the United States just a little bit and you will see why everyone should be aware of this dangerous and often misunderstood and often not diagnosed disease.