Tag: diabetes

What are the early signs of type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a manageable, sometimes reversible, health condition. Preventive care and spotting the early signs of type 2 diabetes can improve or even change your life. And even if you get a diabetes diagnosis, your physician can help you manage the condition with medicine and lifestyle recommendations. But before you get a diagnosis, what early signs of the condition should you look for? Can you spot the signs on your own? Learning more about this common health condition is a good place to start.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a common health condition in America. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that nearly 37 million Americans have either type 1 or 2 diabetes. That’s one out of every 10 people – and more than 95% of them have type 2 diabetes. 

In the simplest sense, a diabetes diagnosis means a person’s body cannot process sugar well enough to maintain essential healthy functions. According to the Mayo Clinic, type 2 diabetes is a combination of: 

  • A person’s pancreas not producing enough insulin AND
  • A person’s cells reacting poorly to insulin and not taking in enough sugar as a result.

What’s important to know about type 2 diabetes is that it is rarely something that people are born with. It is most often developed over time. While some factors that increase the likelihood that a person will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime are out of their control, most often the condition is linked to manageable factors like diet, exercise and a person’s overall wellness. 

Am I more likely to develop type 2 diabetes?

As stated above, type 2 diabetes is very common in America – and it’s manageable, sometimes even reversible, if you get an early diagnosis. One of the best ways to get an early diagnosis is to learn whether or not you have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When you go to your annual physical or preventive health care screening, your doctor will ask you questions about your family history, overall health and will look at some of your vital signs to tell you if you’re more likely to develop diabetes in your lifetime. These well visits are a very important step in preventing and caring for diabetes, and the team at Wellness and Stress Clinic can perform this assessment for you during our free Monday night clinics. But if you want to learn more before your wellness visit, you can take this 5 minute assessment test from the American Medical Association and the CDC.

What are the early signs of type 2 diabetes?

Early diabetes is called prediabetes, and it can be diagnosed using a simple blood test during your regular physical. It is one of the most common conditions among American adults: nearly one out of every three Americans have prediabetes

Getting a prediabetes diagnosis is really important because you may be able to prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes at this stage. Most people who have prediabetes do not know that they have it, as there are not any recognizable symptoms or signs. We can help you determine if you have prediabetes and help you create a plan to prevent it from progressing into type 2 diabetes during your appointment with one of our physicians

If you progress from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes, it may still take you a while to realize that something isn’t right with your body. The earliest signs include:

  • Increased thirst.
  • Frequent urination.
  • Excess hunger.
  • Fatigue.
  • Blurred vision.

Many of these indicators can easily be ignored or confused for other common medical conditions. This is why it’s very important to do an annual wellness check with a doctor. 

What can I do if I get a prediabetes or type 2 diabetes diagnosis?

If you get a prediabetes diagnosis, it is important to develop a management plan with your doctor or health care provider. They will have resources, recommendations and practices you can use to help manage your condition and prevent progression. This could include daily medications and a blood sugar monitoring schedule. Your physician will tell you what course of care is best for you and your specific condition, but there are general recommendations that are good for your overall health that can also help manage type 2 diabetes: 

  1. Try to move for 30 minutes every day. You don’t have to lift a ton of weight or do sprints to positively impact your health! Start small by doing simple, free things like walking around your neighborhood, doing bodyweight squats and pushups or opting to take the stairs when you’re out. 
  2. Eat a healthy diet. Working with a doctor is the best way to develop a food plan. But reducing the amount of sugar you eat and prioritizing vegetables, multigrains and lean proteins is a good place to start! 
  3. Prioritize weight loss. If you are carrying excess weight, getting your weight into a healthy range can help you manage your diabetes. If you try to exercise for 30 minutes every day and eat a healthy diet, then weight loss may naturally follow. But if it doesn’t, you may need to talk with your doctor to get additional recommendations. 

Preventive care for diabetes is important, but ongoing care once you have a diagnosis is critical. There are lifesaving medicines available for people with diabetes, and those medications in concert with lifestyle changes can help you lead a normal, healthy life. Without these changes, diabetes can cause a number of serious health complications. Book your appointment to speak with one of our physicians and find out your diabetes status! 

American Diabetes Month

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions worldwide, affecting about 1 in 11 adults. Its prevalence means you probably know someone who has diabetes, so being aware of this disease and how it can affect one’s life is important. This American Diabetes Month, take the time to learn about what’s true—and what isn’t—about this condition.

MYTH: Diabetes is a single disease.

FACT: Diabetes is actually a group of diseases, all of which affect how your body metabolizes blood sugar. Chronic diabetes include Type 1 and Type 2, but some forms of diabetes are also potentially reversible, like gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy. Although diabetes can develop at any age, Type 1 diabetes often shows up during childhood or adolescence, while Type 2 more commonly occurs in people over the age of 40.

MYTH: Eating a lot of sugar causes diabetes.

FACT: Diabetes is caused by your body either not making enough insulin or not using it well, both of which can increase your blood sugar levels, but eating sugar itself doesn’t directly cause someone to develop diabetes. However, excess sugar can lead to obesity, which is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

MYTH: If you don’t have a family history of diabetes, you won’t get it yourself.

FACT: While family history is a risk factor for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, other factors are also involved. In fact, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by maintaining a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and not smoking. 

MYTH: People who have diabetes can’t eat sweets.

FACT: As long as you plan for them, you can have a few sweets in moderation, even if you have diabetes. This planning can include decreasing your carbohydrate intake from other sources or, if you take insulin, taking a higher dose than normal. Your healthcare provider can tell you about how you can safely indulge in the occasional treat while still keeping your diabetes under control.

MYTH: It’s unsafe to exercise if you have diabetes.

FACT: Exercise is in fact a vital step to managing diabetes, because it helps increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin. However, if you do have diabetes, you should talk to your healthcare provider about how to watch for potential problems that may arise with your eyes, feet, or heart when you exercise.

The International Diabetes Foundation predicts that in the next 10 years, the number of people with diabetes around the world will rise from 463 million to 578 million, and in 25 years, it’ll reach 700 million. However, with proper knowledge about prevention and management, we can work towards slowing this growth. Have a great rest of the month, and as always, stay healthy and stay safe!

–The Wellness and Stress Clinic Team

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National Family Health History Day (Nov. 26)

With Thanksgiving festivities in full swing, and as surprising as it may seem, this past Thursday was the perfect opportunity to take an important step towards taking care of your health—and it doesn’t have anything to do with what you eat. Since 2004, the U.S. Surgeon General has designated Thanksgiving as National Family Health History Day. Whether you’re celebrating with your family virtually or in-person this year, it’s a great idea to start a conversation about your family’s health while everyone’s together.

Many health conditions appear to have some hereditary basis, including cancer, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, and many more. Even though having family members with certain conditions doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get them too, knowing about your family health history can better equip you and your healthcare provider to take proactive steps, like lifestyle changes and early screening. For many families, having these types of conversations may not come that naturally, but the information they reveal could potentially benefit everyone’s health. A good place to start is by explaining why you want to know about your family members’ health by also sharing information of your own. 

In general, the more information, the better, but it can be helpful to know what type of information is the most important. You should know how each person included in your family history is related to you. Be sure to also ask about major medical issues and when they began, causes and ages of death, and your family’s ethnic background. You may also want to ask about allergies, any history of pregnancy loss or birth defects, and lifestyle and environmental factors. Injuries and diseases that don’t have a genetic basis (like Lyme disease, for example) aren’t as necessary to record.

If you were adopted or are estranged from your family, collecting your family history can be significantly more difficult, but it’s still possible. In the case of adoption, you can ask your adoptive parents if they have any information about your birth parents’ health history. You can also reach out to the adoption agency, but be sure to first familiarize yourself with the adoption statutes in your state. If you’re not close with your family, you can try reaching out only to the family members you are most comfortable with, or your healthcare provider may be able to reach out on your behalf.

Once you have all this information, write it down or use the Family Health Portrait tool developed by the U.S. Surgeon General and Department of Health & Human Services. This online tool is free and allows you to store and share your family health history with other members of your family and your healthcare provider, and it’s available in multiple languages. You should review your family history periodically and continue updating it whenever you learn new information.

While you’re feasting (perhaps in spirit) with your loved ones this Thursday, you can feel good knowing that you all empowered each other to lead healthier lives. Happy Thanksgiving, and as always, stay healthy and stay safe!

–The Wellness and Stress Clinic Team

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Managing Type 2 Diabetes

More than 34 million American have diabetes (about 1 in 10), and approximately 90-95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar, aka glucose. Glucose is an important source of fuel for the body, and if the body cannot metabolize sugar correctly, then you may experience symptoms such as:

  • Increased thirst
  • Fatigue
  • Slow-healing sores
  • Increased hunger
  • Frequent hunger
  • Blurred vision
  • Frequent infections
  • Areas of darkened skin, usually in the armpits and neck

When you have type 2 diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin, which is a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells in your body, or it doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels. When your body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin, you may start to experience the symptoms above.

If you suspect that you may have developed type 2 diabetes or that you are at risk of developing it due to environmental factors, genetics, and/or lifestyle factors, then it may be time to see a doctor. Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed using the:

  • Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test: This blood test indicates the average blood sugar level for the past 2-3 months. Normal levels are below 5.7%, and a result between 5.7 and 6.4% is considered pre-diabetes, while an A1C 6.5% or higher means that you have diabetes.

To treat and manage type 2 diabetes, you may need to:

  • Lose weight
  • Eat healthily
  • Exercise regularly
  • Possibly include diabetes medication or insulin therapy
  • Monitor your blood sugar

By losing just 5-10% of your body weight, you can make a difference in your A1C because losing weight can lower your blood sugar levels. To do this, you may need to eat fewer calories, fewer refined carbohydrates, fewer foods that contain saturated fats, and more vegetables and fruits, especially those that contain a lot of fiber. Changing your diet plus aiming for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate (or 15 to 30 minutes of vigorous) mixed aerobic exercise and resistance training offers more benefits than either type of exercise alone. Examples of these exercises are:

  • Aerobic: Walking, Dancing, Biking, and Swimming
  • Resistance: Yoga and Weightlifting

If you have any questions about type 2 diabetes, or think that you may have it or be at risk for it, please call the clinic at (901) 306-5433 to schedule an appointment. As always, stay safe and healthy!

-Wellness and Stress Clinic Team