Diabetes: Are you at Risk?

There are several types of diabetes. Type one diabetes is a lifelong disease that is caused because your body does not produce enough insulin to properly regulate your blood sugar. You may have type one diabetes if you experience stomach pain, have fruity breath, have a shortness of breathe, have a dry mouth or you are experiencing vomiting. You may also lose weight, feel abnormally hungry or thirsty, or loose feeling in your feet. If you have type one diabetes you will probably have to be self-treated with insulin for the rest of your life. The good news is that it is treatable and modern technology has made having type one diabetes manageable.

Type two diabetes is more common than type one diabetes and is a result of high glucose levels in the blood. Type two diabetes can be managed by watching what you eat and exercising daily. There are also drugs that can help you manage type two diabetes if diet and exercise do not help. Type two diabetes does not always have symptoms but may be diagnosed if you have blurred vision, fatigue, ED and an increased appetite and thirst. You are at risk for type two diabetes if you are over 45, have a family history of diabetes, if you are over weight, if you do not exercise regularly, if you have had gestational diabetes or if you are of a certain ethnicity.

Gestational diabetes is a result of high blood sugar that appears at the onset of pregnancy. If you have gestational diabetes you will have to watch closely what you eat and drink, and exercise as much as possible. You will also have to keep a close eye on yourself and your baby with your healthcare provider. Symptoms of gestational diabetes are blurred vision, nausea, fatigue and weight loss coupled with an increased appetite. You are at risk for gestational diabetes if you are Black or Hispanic, you are older than 25 at pregnancy, you have given birth to a large baby in the past, you are obese or you have had an unexplained miscarriage in the past.