March is Diabetes Awareness Month, the perfect time to learn more about the symptoms of diabetes and the poor lifestyle choices that can put you at a higher risk for developing the disease.
Almost 26 million Americans are living with diabetes and another 79 million have a condition known as pre-diabetes. The warning signs include extreme thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, blurry vision, slow-healing wounds, tiredness and numbness in extremities.
You are at higher risk for developing diabetes if you are over 40, have a family history of the disease, gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds or are of aboriginal, Hispanic, Asian or African descent. But there are many risk factors that can be controlled. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that seniors who were physically active, maintained a healthy weight, did not smoke and used alcohol only in moderation cut their risk for diabetes by 82 percent.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body no longer produces enough insulin to transform the sugar in your blood into energy. This causes a high blood sugar level which over time damages your blood vessels and nerves and can result in amputations, blindness, stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and nerve damage.
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