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Diabetes : Early Detection, Symptoms, & Treatment

Overview

Prediabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than normal but is not yet much higher than type 2 diabetes. Without lifestyle changes, people with type 2 diabetes have a much higher probability. If you already have diabetes, the long-term loss of diabetes – especially your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys – may begin already.

Although there is good news. The improvement from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes is not binding. Eating healthy foods, incorporating physical activity into your routine and maintaining a healthy weight can help bring your blood sugar levels back to normal.

Prediabetes affects adults and children. The corresponding lifestyle changes that can assist prevent the progression of diabetes in adults can also help to bring children’s blood sugar levels back to standard.

Symptoms

There are usually no signs or symptoms of prediabetes.

One possible sign that you may be at risk of type 2 diabetes is the darkening of the skin on some parts of the body. Affected areas may include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees, and knuckles.

Classic signs and symptoms that suggest you are in prediabetes to type 2 diabetes include:

See your doctor if you are concerned about diabetes or if you notice any signs or symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Ask your doctor about a blood glucose test to see if you have any risk factors for prediabetes.

Causes

The exact cause of prediabetes is unknown. But family history and genetics play an important role. Inactivity and excess fat – especially abdominal fat – also appear to be important factors.

It is clear that people with prediabetes do not process sugar (glucose) properly. As a result, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream instead of doing its normal work of fueling the cells that makeup muscles and other tissues.

Most of your body’s glucose comes from the food you eat. When food is digested, sugar enters your bloodstream. A hormone (insulin) is needed to carry sugar from your bloodstream to your body’s cells.

Insulin comes from a gland located behind the stomach (pancreas). When you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream.

As insulin is circulated, it allows sugar to enter your cells – and reduces the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. As your blood sugar level drops, insulin secretes from your pancreas.

When you have pre-diabetes, this process begins to work inappropriately. Instead of fueling your cells, sugar develops up in your bloodstream. High blood sugar occurs when your pancreas does not make enough insulin or your cells become resistant to the action of insulin or both.

The Risk

The identical factors that increase the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes increment the risk of developing prediabetes. These factors include:

Weight. Being overweight is a fundamental risk factor for prediabetes. The more fatty tissue you have – especially between the muscles and skin around your stomach – the more resistant your cells are to insulin.

Waist size. Large waist size may indicate insulin resistance. The risk of insulin resistance increases for men with a waist greater than 40 inches and for women with a waist greater than 35 inches.
Diet pattern. Red meat and processed meat, and consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, are associated with a higher risk of prediabetes. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil is associated with a lower risk of prebiotics.
Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater the risk of prediabetes. Physical activity helps control your weight, uses glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.

Ages. Although diabetes can develop at any age, the risk of prediabetes increases after the age of 45. This may be because people exercise less, lose muscle weight and gain weight by age.

Family history. If you have parents or siblings with type 2 diabetes, you are at an increased risk of prediabetes.

Race. Although it is not clear, people of certain breeds, including African, American, Hispanics, Native American, Asian-American, and Pacific Islands, are more likely to develop prediabetes.

gestational diabetes. If you have developed gestational diabetes while pregnant, you and your baby are at greater risk of prediabetes. If you have given birth to a baby whose weight is more than 9 pounds (4.1 kg), you are already at an increased risk of diabetes.

polycystic ovary syndrome. This common condition – characterized by irregular menstruation, excess hair growth and obesity – increases the risk of prediabetes in women.
Sleep. People with certain sleep disorders have an increased risk of insulin resistance. People who work shifts or night shifts, possibly causing sleep problems, may also have an increased risk of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
Other conditions associated with prediabetes include:

High blood pressure

  1. High-density lipoprotein with Low levels ( HDL ) cholesterol, “good” cholesterol.
  2. Triglycerides with high levels – a kind of fat in your blood
  3. When these conditions occur with obesity, they are associated with insulin resistance. The combination of three or more of these conditions is often called metabolic syndrome.

Complications

The most dangerous outcome of prediabetes is progression to type2 diabetes. This is because type2 diabetes can be caused by:

Research indicates that prebiotics is often associated with unintentional heart attacks and can damage your kidneys, even if you have not progressed to type 2 diabetes.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can help you prevent prediabetes and its progression from type 2 diabetes – even if your family has diabetes. try the:

  • Eat healthy food
  • Do more physical activity
  • Lose extra pounds
  • Control your blood pressure and cholesterol