Prediabetes means that you have a blood sugar level that is higher than normal. However, it is not high enough for you to be considered as someone who is suffering from type 2 diabetes.
If you fail to do some very important dietary and lifestyle changes, there is a big possibility for your prediabetes to eventually develop into type 2 diabetes.
Doctors say that problems associated with unmanaged type 2 diabetes (such as damage to the heart, blood vessels and kidneys) may have already started the moment that you were diagnosed with prediabetes.
But worry not because it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are doomed to end up with type 2 diabetes if you’re told by your doctor you have prediabetes. It is possible to keep type 2 diabetes at bay!
So if you’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, continue reading. Below you will come across some of the most important details about prediabetes that you should know about.
Signs and Symptoms
The truth is prediabetes does not come with signs and symptoms. It can be a real problem because a person may already be suffering from it without having any idea.
As a result, some of the necessary dietary and lifestyle changes for preventing type 2 diabetes are kept from being carried out, until such time that prediabetes has already become type 2 diabetes.
Once your prediabetes has become type 2 diabetes, that’s the time when you will encounter some unusual things, all of which are classic type 2 diabetes signs and symptoms.
Increased hunger, increased thirst, frequent urination — these are clear indicators that you already have type 2 diabetes. You may also feel exhausted all of the time, and it’s not unlikely for your vision to become blurry.
Risk Factors
According to doctors, there are many different risk factors for prediabetes, and all of them are the same risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Some of them you cannot do something about, while others can be definitely dealt with.
One of the risk factors for prediabetes that you cannot change is family history. If you have a relative who is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, there’s a possibility that you may have prediabetes, too.
Prediabetes can strike people at any age, but your risk for it increases once you’re over 45 years old. Prediabetes is also more common among Pacific Islanders, Asian Americans, Native Americans, African Americans and Hispanics.
Inactivity, poor eating habits, being overweight or obese, a large waist — these are some of the risk factors for prediabetes that you can do something about.
Complications
The most serious complication of prediabetes is its progression to type 2 diabetes, which is something that can be kept from happening if you spring into action as soon as you’re diagnosed with prediabetes.
You don’t want your prediabetes to end up as type 2 diabetes because it comes with very serious complications. Some of them include kidney disease, blindness, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and amputations.
Preventive Measures
According to doctors, doing the necessary dietary and lifestyle changes is the secret to keeping prediabetes at bay, or preventing prediabetes from progressing into type 2 diabetes.
One of the most important things that you need to do is change your diet. Make sure that you limit your intake of anything that is loaded with sugar, as well as saturated fat which can cause weight gain, a risk factor.
Being more physically active is another thing that you may do. Exercise on a regular basis and keep moving around a lot to help keep your blood sugar levels to within the normal range.
If you have a family history of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, make sure that you talk to your doctor about matters that can help save you from having to face prediabetes and type 2 diabetes one day.
