Test Your Diabetes Knowledge
posted on November 19, 2010
By Colleen Gladstone, RN, CDE – Diabetes Specialist
November is American Diabetes Month. This is a great time to raise awareness about the symptoms and risk factors for diabetes, and also to recognize where we may have control in managing this complex disease. As a health care worker at HCR Home Care, I interact with diabetic patients on a daily basis. As the incidence of Type 2 diabetes has risen dramatically in recent years, it has likely touched each of our lives in a personal way, either through diagnosis of a friend or family member, or possibly through our own diagnosis of diabetes. Sadly, many diabetics are not aware they have the disease until they develop one or more of its complications, such as blindness, kidney disease, heart disease and stroke, nerve damage, or infections. Early detection and intervention are the keys to preventing long-term complications.
Recognizing the symptoms of diabetes, such as excessive thirst, extreme hunger, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, blurred vision, unusual fatigue, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, dry itchy skin, cuts or bruises which heal slowly, and frequent infections is critical to detect the disease in its early stage. If these symptoms occur, it is important to see a doctor right away.
Because symptoms often go unrecognized, knowing common risk factors for diabetes is helpful in identifying people who should be tested. This includes people younger than 45 who are overweight and have one of the following risk factors: have a family member with diabetes; are African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Asian-American, or Pacific Islander; gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds; diagnosed with gestational diabetes; and are physically inactive. All people aged 45 or older should be tested.
While none of us can control risk factors such as age and ethnicity, focusing on those risk factors we can control, such as obesity, may delay or prevent the onset of diabetes. Controlling blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels through healthy eating, physical activity, monitoring, and use of medication as prescribed, will help to reduce the risk of diabetic complications. People with diabetes can enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle!
For more information, contact HCR Home Care at 585-272-1930. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook Fan Page and be a fan! www.facebook.com/HCRHomeCare.
