The Risks and Lifestyle Adjustments You Need to Know After Getting Diagnosed with Prediabetes
As you get older, you become more susceptible to diseases you thought would never affect you. Medical checkups are vital to know your diagnosis as early as possible. Developing illnesses could be given initial treatments to stop further development in your body. Moreover, it’s best to incorporate healthier lifestyle adjustments. Your body will get used to a healthier routine that could save you from various diseases. Diabetes is not curable, and if not given attention in its earlier stages, you’ll face many risks.
For this reason, make it a habit to have a complete body examination to know if you are in the prediabetes stage. Doctors recommend checking your fasting blood sugar at age 35 and above annually. This way, you could keep track of prediabetes or know if you should adjust areas in your lifestyle. Prediabetes means your blood sugar levels have not yet reached Type 2 diabetes. However, it’s still a huge warning sign when diagnosed with the condition. During this stage, your fasting blood sugar levels are between 100 and 126. Once it reaches more than 126, your prediabetes has become Type 2 diabetes.
Although your blood sugar levels are lower compared to T2D, complications to your body are beginning to happen. Your heart, kidney, and blood vessels are impacted even in the early stages of the disease. Aside from damaging organs, you may be experiencing symptoms such as acanthosis nigricans, which can happen when your body resists insulin. It’ll be apparent in your body, as it causes dark, thick, and velvety patches of skin. You may start noticing discoloration in elbows, knees, neck, armpits, and knuckles. Apart from that, prediabetes can cause:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Increased hunger
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Numbness in feet or hands
- Frequent infections
- Slow-healing sores
- Weight loss
Consult your physician if these symptoms persist. You’ll better understand your condition and find out the changes you need to make. After your diagnosis, you’ll be introduced to a diabetes educator to aid you in making daily routine adjustments. They’ll serve as a coach to guide you with meal planning, exercise, medication management, stress management, and sleep hygiene. Although you have a guide, you’ll mainly be responsible for being consistent with the given lifestyle routine. You must take initiative and be determined enough to regulate your blood sugar levels and stop diabetes development. Most importantly, you must be more dedicated to maintaining a healthy weight and consuming a balanced diet.
If actions are not taken, progressing diabetes could put you at more dangerous risks. Your body will be vulnerable to the following:
- Heart diseases
- Stroke
- Eye damage, which could lead to blindness
- Limb amputation
- Kidney failure
Talk about the possibilities with your doctor before symptoms appear. Start discussing your condition as soon as you know you have these risk factors:
- 45 years old and above
- Body mass index of more than 25
- Waist size is 40 inches or more in males and 35 inches or more in females.
- Diet mostly consists of red meat, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Lack of exercise
- Family history
- Smoking regularly
- Medical history includes sleep apnea, gestational diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
- If your ethnicity has high rates of prediabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this includes races such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, or Native Americans.
Enjoy your mid-40s to your senior years without worrying about diabetes. Be mindful of your lifestyle choices, most especially your diet. Regulate your blood sugar levels by tracking your carb intake, adding more fiber to your diet, getting high-quality sleep, losing weight, drinking more water, eating breakfast, properly managing stress, and working out. Do yourself a favor and be the healthiest version of yourself every time your age increases. Moreover, listen to your doctor when warnings and advice are given.
