If you’re feeling tired, thirsty or using the bathroom more often than normal you may be among the 30 million people in the United States who have diabetes, and 1 in 4 of them don’t know they have it.

“Diabetes symptoms are often difficult to detect so people really need to know their risk factors to decrease their odds of getting diabetes or preventing it altogether,” said Andrea McCarty, MS, RDN, LD, CDE, diabetes education coordinator at Mon Health Medical Center.

Diabetes, a chronic disease that affects how the body turns food into energy, has 3 classifications: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy).

Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all diagnosed cases and can be delayed or prevented through lifestyle changes.

Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight, being physically inactive, age 45 or older, previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes, and family history.

In addition, African Americans, Hispanics/Latino Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, and some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans, are also at higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

Early warning signs

While there’s no lack of warning signs of type 2 diabetes, they’re subtle enough that you may not notice.

Here are 10 of the most common symptoms:

  • You’re taking more bathroom breaks, especially at night.
  • You’re thirstier than usual.
  • You’ve lost weight without trying.
  • You feel shaky and hungry.
  • You’re tired all the time.
  • Your vision seems blurry.
  • Your cuts and scrapes heal more slowly.
  • Your feet tingle or feel numb.
  • You’re getting more infections than usual, especially urinary tract and yeast infections.
  • Your skin is extremely dry.

“If a person notices any of these signs, they should see a physician about getting their blood glucose tested. Testing typically includes an A1C, fasting blood glucose or glucose tolerance test,” Andrea said. “A person without diabetes will have a fasting glucose level of 99 or lower. A blood glucose of 126 or higher will diagnose diabetes so there is a real window of opportunity when people can make lifestyle changes to reverse the disease.”

Andrea added that while type 2 diabetes is nearly 100% preventable through lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, if you wait until warning signs show up, your blood glucose levels have been high for a while, and it’s often too late to reverse the effects.

For those at risk or with prediabetes, Mon Health Medical Center offers the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program that helps people make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.

The program will be covered by Medicare beginning in April 2018; a physician referral is not required. Call 304-598-1805 for more information.

Emily K. Gallagher
Multimedia Coordinator
Marketing Department
Mon Health Medical Center
Morgantown, WV