Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body processes food. Your body needs insulin to help turn food into energy. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it makes as well as it should. This leads to high blood sugar levels in your bloodstream which can turn into problems like heart disease, stroke, vision loss, or kidney disease.

Types of diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that stops your body from making insulin. About 5-10% of the population has it. People with type 1 need insulin to survive.

Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2, the body doesn’t use insulin well and has a hard time keeping blood sugars at normal levels. Some people can control their blood sugar levels with healthy eating and exercise; others may need insulin to help manage it.

Prediabetes is when blood sugar is too high, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. It is a serious condition if not treated, but is easily preventable through diet and exercise. One in three people have it and don’t know it.

Are you at risk?

You might be at risk if you have any of these risk factors:

  • 45 years or older
  • Overweight
  • A parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
  • Not physically active
  • Diabetes during pregnancy or delivered a baby that weighed 9 pounds or more
  • Diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome
  • High blood pressure
  • Low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglycerides
  • Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk)

Do you have these symptoms?

Some people have no symptoms, but the most common symptoms include:

  • Urinating often
  • Feeling very thirsty
  • Feeling very hungry even though you are eating
  • Extreme fatigue, especially after eating
  • Blurry vision
  • Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal

You have the power to change things.

Untreated, diabetes can lead to stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, hearing loss, and blindness. There are many hidden costs, like missed work due to illness, frequent doctor appointments, increased insurance costs, and potential loss of driver’s license. If you have prediabetes, you can prevent type 2 diabetes by making small changes to the way you eat without giving up the foods you love, by increasing your physical activity by as little as 10 minutes a day working toward 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, and by losing a small amount of weight or about 7% weight loss.

Take the first step to managing your health – learn more about our diabetes education opportunities. Call 218-347-1200 to schedule your diabetes education appointment.

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