Type 2 diabetes: Know your risks
Sneaky and silent are two adjectives health care providers use when talking about Type 2 diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that 30 million people have Type 2 diabetes and 7 million are currently undiagnosed.
Type 2 diabetes develops over time. “Blood sugars increase slowly,” said Laurie Sandberg, registered nurse with Meritus Endocrinology Specialists. “You typically don’t wake up one day with a blood-sugar level of 300.”
With Type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin or the pancreas is unable to produce the amount of insulin people need to control their blood sugar. Individuals with diabetes have too much glucose, or blood sugar, in their bloodstream, which can negatively affect the whole body, including the cardiovascular system, circulation, eyesight and kidney function.
People with Type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms at first.
“Symptoms can be mild or absent initially,” Sandberg said. “Later, as the blood sugar approaches 250 to 300 Mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), a person might experience fatigue, weight loss, excessive thirst, constant hunger and frequent urination.”
Health care professionals said a person can have Type 2 diabetes for years without knowing it. You should pay close attention to red flags such as increased urination, increased thirst, blurry vision, slow-healing sores or frequent infections.
Risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes:
• Family history
• Ethnicity — Pacific Islander, African-American
• Older than 45
• High blood pressure
• Gestational diabetes
• Body mass index above 25, or waist size larger than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women
• Physically inactive
“Prediabetes is when your blood-sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered Type 2 diabetes,” Sandberg said. A normal fasting blood-sugar range is between 70 and 99. Diabetes is diagnosed with a fasting blood sugar level of more than 125, but a range between 100 and 125 Mg/dL is considered prediabetes.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that 84 million people have prediabetes.
“The good news is, if you discover high blood sugar early, many who lose weight and increase their physical activity can prevent or delay the disease — and in some cases return their blood glucose to normal levels,” Sandberg said.
Consider these steps to reduce your risk of developing diabetes:
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat well.
• Be active.
• Get screened for Type 2 diabetes each year.
“Understanding how to make healthy food choices, schedule physical activity into your day and monitor blood glucose are strategies that can help you keep your blood-sugar numbers under control and avoid complications,” Sandberg said.
The diabetes death rate in Washington County tops all other counties in Maryland. If you think you’re at risk for developing diabetes, talk to your primary care provider right away.
Meritus Health, at 11116 Medical Campus Road, east of Hagerstown, is the largest health system in the area.
