November is National Diabetes Awareness month and at Central Ozarks Medical Center, we are going to continue this week with part two of our blog about diabetes awareness. As we discussed in part one, diabetes affects over 34 million people in the United States and more than 7 million of those people are undiagnosed and untreated. That is why awareness of this all too prevalent disease is so important. So, if you would like to understand how to recognize the warning signs of diabetes, ways to prevent it and ways to treat it, keep reading to learn more.
Warning Signs
According to the American Heart Association, people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes may not have symptoms, or they are so mild that people don’t actually notice for a while. But others do experience some warning signs that are worth being aware of:
Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes
Increased or extreme thirst Increased thirst
Increased appetite Increased appetite
Increased fatigue Fatigue
Increased or frequent urination Increased urination, especially at night
Unusual weight loss Weight loss
Blurred vision Blurred vision
Fruity odor or breath Sores that do not heal
If you notice symptoms like these make an appointment with your doctor at one of our health clinics in mid-Missouri to see what is going on.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
95% of people who have diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, and most of the rest have Type 1 diabetes. While it is still unknown how to prevent Type 1 diabetes (which usually develops in childhood or as a teen or young adult), there are steps you can take to try to prevent Type 2 diabetes. Being active and maintaining a healthy weight is one of the things you have the most power to influence when trying to prevent diabetes. If you are overweight, get help to develop a healthier lifestyle to lose weight. Try to make a commitment to getting physical activity for about 30 minutes on most days. Also, see your doctor in Central Missouri to develop a health care plan to make sure you are doing everything you can prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Treating or Managing Diabetes
One of the first things you will want to focus on after being diagnosed of type two diabetes is to stop smoking if you smoke. You will also want to work closely with your healthcare professionals to develop a plan for managing your blood glucose and monitoring your cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, treating or managing your type two diabetes will involve the same things we discussed doing to try to prevent type two diabetes like exercising and maintaining a healthy weight.
You Have a Team on Your Side
When it comes to managing diabetes of any kind, it really does take a team. It can be an overwhelming feeling when you realize you have diabetes, and the earlier you notice a problem, the more ability you have to do something about it. So, as healthcare providers in the Lake of the Ozarks area, we just wanted to share a little information to empower you and give you some awareness to potentially help you or a loved one recognize and treat diabetes as early as possible. If you observe any of the symptoms we described, we want you to feel comfortable making an appointment at one of our health clinics in Central Missouri to look into it. If you would like to hear more helpful information and tips on health care in mid-Missouri, please follow us on social media. We have links below for your convenience.
Follow along with our blogs to get more health and lifestyle pointers to keep you out of our office more than once a year!
Central Ozarks Medical Center
Keeping Lack of Insurance From Being a Roadblock to Quality Healthcare
Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterConnect with us on LinkedIn