Diabetes UK is warning people to look out for signs that they could have the common condition, with the experts stating that it estimates “1.3 million people are currently living with type 2 diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed“.
According to Diabetes UK, there are 7 things to look out for, and you may be brushing them off as normal. Explaining all about “prediabetes”, it notes that this “means that your blood sugars are higher than usual”.
Don’t worry though, as they are “not high enough for you to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes”. It does, however, mean “you are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes“.
Prediabetes warning signs
When it comes to prediabetes symptoms, it explains: “Prediabetes doesn’t have any symptoms. If you start to have any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, it means you have probably already developed it.”
With this in mind, it’s important to know the risk factors. In fact, “a lot of people don’t get any symptoms when it comes to type 2 diabetes, or don’t notice them”.
But there are some warning signs to look out for, including:
- going to the toilet more often, especially at night
- feeling more tired than usual
- losing weight without trying
- genital itching or thrush
- cuts and wounds taking longer to heal
- blurred vision
- feeling extremely thirsty
Also called borderline diabetes, these higher-than-normal blood sugar levels can be detected through blood tests. The medical terms for higher-than-normal blood sugars are:
- impaired fasting glucose (IFG)
- impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)
- impaired glucose regulation (IGR)
- non-diabetic hyperglycaemia
But why are these terms important? The health experts explain: “These tests are a mix of fasting or non-fasting and they all help your healthcare team to understand your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“So, if you’ve been told you have any of these, knowing this is the first step to being able to do something about it. And for many people there are things you can do to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.”
If I have prediabetes, will I get diabetes?
No, not always. The experts stress that “many people can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and it may be possible to prevent or delay the condition developing” if you take the correct steps.
These are some things to remember:
Prevention is possible: With the right support and changes, up to 50% of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or delayed.
The Problem with insulin: Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body’s insulin doesn’t work correctly, causing blood sugar to rise.
The body overworks: To compensate for high blood sugar, the body pumps out even more insulin.
Pancreas exhaustion: Over time, the pancreas can “tire out” and stop making enough insulin, leading to even higher, more dangerous blood sugar levels.
That’s why it’s very important to know the risk factors:
- You’re more at risk if you’re white and over 40 or over 25 if you’re African-Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian.
- You’re two to six times more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother, sister or child with diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes is two to four times more likely in people of South Asian descent and African-Caribbean or Black African descent.
- You’re more at risk if you’ve ever had high blood pressure.
- You’re more at risk of type 2 diabetes if you’re living with being overweight or obese.
Preventing type 2 diabetes
Diabetes UK stress that “being at risk doesn’t mean you will definitely develop type 2 diabetes” but you can begin by making some small changes. This includes:
- Manage your weight
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet
- Reducing your intake of sugar-sweetened drinks, red and processed meats (beef, lamb, pork, ham and sausages), refined carbohydrates (sugary snacks, white bread, sugary cereals) and potatoes, particularly fries.
- Be more active
You may be eligible for a free NHS Health Check. This will check for health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
