No matter which form of diabetes you have, you need to lower the amount of glucose in your types of diabetes, it’s important to watch your. diet and to …
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DIABETES IS DANGEROUS BUT YOURE IN CHARGE
A
re you losing weight, but youre not on a diet? Are you thirsty all the time? Do you go to the bathroom a lot? Those could be signs of diabetes The first thing to do is see a doctor A quick, simple test will tell if theres too much glucose in your blood If there is, you have diabetes Glucose is a sugar your body uses for fuel If it stays in the blood instead of going into your cells, you have less energy And if its in your bloodstream a long time, it can hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart Thats why the blood test is important With treatment, you can live a healthy and normal life Without treatment, diabetes can kill There are two main kinds of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2, says Paula Butler, MD, a doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago who specializes in diabetes and similar
diseases Type 1 used to be called insulin-dependent diabetes It is caused by damage to the pancreas, a small organ in your body that makes insulin Insulin helps cells use glucose But when the pancreas is damaged, glucose stays in the blood In Type 2 diabetes, a persons body does not make enough insulin, or the cells dont use the insulin
No matter which form of diabetes you have, you need to lower the amount of glucose in your blood People with Type 1 take insulin shots to replace the insulin the body isnt making People with Type 2 may not need shots But with both types of diabetes, its important to watch your diet and to exercise regularly A good diet helps your body change food into blood sugar Doctors used to believe that diabetics should just avoid sugar Now they know that a healthy, balanced diet is best It should be low in fat, contain starches, and not have too much protein Exercise is important for diabetics because it uses up some of the glucose in your blood, and it reduces problems with your heart and blood vessels the biggest killer of people with diabetes If diet and exercise dont help Type 2 diabetics, they may need pills or insulin shots Being told you are diabetic
can be very scary, Dr Butler says, but by eating a good diet, exercising and taking insulin, if needed, you can still lead a healthy life
If you have questions about diabetes ask your family doctor or call AT SINAI or TTY to see a Sinai doctor
AVOID COMPLICATIONS
People with diabetes must watch their diet and exercise regularly Some need to take insulin, or should test the glucose level in their blood several times a day These steps can help prevent some of the bad things that can happen to diabetics: Every year, as many as 24,000 people in the United States lose their eyesight because of diabetes As many as one diabetic in five gets kidney disease Some need dialysis or a kidney transplant to live Diabetics are 2 to 4 times more likely to have a stroke or heart disease Nearly two-thirds of diabetics have some nerve damage Each year, more than 50,000 people lose a foot or leg because of problems caused by diabetes Diabetes can cause impotence
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Did You Know?
One out of every people in the United States has diabetes More than one third of people with diabetes dont know they have it African Americans and Latinos get
diabetes almost twice as often as other people Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States Many people dont learn they have diabetes until there is a serious complication
Q Besides race what are some
A You cant do much about your age
?
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other things that increase my chance of developing diabetes?
folks over have a higher risk or the fact that other people in your family have had diabetes But the chance of developing diabetes also is higher for people who are over weight or who dont exercise regularly Cholesterol also matters: If your HDL the good cholesterol is low or your triglycerides are high youre at greater risk The best thing to do is have a blood test Then you can stop worrying if you dont have diabetes Or you can get the care you need if you do have diabetes Either way watch your diet and exercise
