Signs of Diabetes: Watch for Diabetes Warning Signs and
Risk Factors
Current
estimates show that up to 21 million people in the United
States have diabetes, equating to about 7 percent of children
and adults. Even though diabetes is quite prevalent in our
society, about one-third of people with signs of diabetes
are not aware of it. This presents a grave problem for the
more than 6 million Americans who don’t realize they
need diabetes treatment. Early treatment of diabetes is
essential since it can prevent damage to the heart, kidneys,
eyes, blood vessels, and nervous system. There have even
been cases where early diabetes treatment has helped patients
to stop taking their type 2 diabetes medication.
It
is more important than ever before to be aware of the signs
of diabetes. Diabetes warning signs are basically the same
whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The major signs
of diabetes are as follows:
- Frequent
urination
- Unquenchable
thirst
- Unexplained
weight loss
- Fatigue
and weakness
- Blurry
vision
- Numbness
and tingling in hands, feet, or legs
- Frequent
and slow to heal infections
- Dry
or itchy skin
Along
with these signs of diabetes, other warning signs include
having at least one or more risk factors for diabetes. The
risk factors for diabetes are being overweight, getting
little or no exercise, and having a sibling or parent with
diabetes. Diabetes is also more common in certain ethnic
groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, Asian
Americans, and Latinos. If you have signs of diabetes, it
is recommended that you undergo diabetes testing for blood
glucose as soon as possible. By testing now, you could save
yourself from many diabetes complications in the future.
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