Complications of diabetes
The main purpose for preventing pre-diabetes is to avoid the major complications of diabetes that’s sure to happen if we neglect our health now. Most of those with pre-diabetes (approximately 30 % of the US population) don’t even know they have uncontrolled blood sugar.
It has been estimated by the CDC that . . . ” Without taking action, many people with prediabetes could develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years.” Don’t let this happen to you. Over the years I have the seen the effects of this disease on friends and family and it is not pretty . . . from blindness to amputations to the ultimate . . . death.
Complications of diabetes
Diabetes affects every major organ in the body. As a consequence, many people with this disease end up with serious complications including:
- kidney failure resulting in having to do dialysis for the rest of their lives
- blindness – imagine being led around by your niece or nephew or helper because you can’t see.
- erectile dysfunction
- heart disease
- nerve damage – which will lead to amputations and a host of related issues
Imagine having any of the above listed problems and needing to buy medications costing hundreds of dollars each month to treat it. This would certainly put undue stress on you which can cause even more health problems.
A friend of our family developed diabetes but never followed the proper treatment plan to managed it. He eventually lost both his legs. Think of the impact this had on his quality of life. If you are not able to control your blood sugar level then amputations due to gangrenous extremities can be an eventual outcome.
Nerve damage is a serious diabetic issue that affect not only the loss of feelings in your hands and feet but also major internal organs. I’ll discuss these in future posts.
Determine if you have pre-diabetes
Preventing full-blown diabetes starts at the borderline or pre-diabetes stage. And although the signals are not as obvious at this point there are risk factors that will determine your likelihood of developing it.
Risk factors include:
- having a family history of the disease
- Being overweight or obese
- living a sedentary or inactive lifestyle
- Undue stress caused by – divorce, loss of loved one, laid off from work, etc.
If you are at risk then there are steps you can take to slow the progress or even stop it.
How to prevent diabetes
You may be able to prevent the advancement to major complications by following the right treatment plan.
First you must know if you have uncontrolled blood sugar. To do this visit with your healthcare provider who will perform certain tests. If the test determine that your blood sugar is on the high side then this will be your wake-up call.
Don’t panic which is what I did. After I calmed down, I let my rational self take over. I made the decision that I can defeat this prognosis. This is what I did and you can also . . .
- Start following a proper meal plan. If you read my post regularly you will find out how to use foods to improve your health. You must eat the right foods for your body type.
- Develop an active lifestyle that includes at least five days of a consistent exercise routine.
- Take any prescribed medications with the express intention of weaning yourself off them as soon as possible.
- Reduce all stressful situations to the best of your abilities.
- Adjust your rest and recovery time to include at least 7.5 hours of sleep each night.
So far, I have been able to keep my A1c in the normal range. I am more aware now of the signals of high blood sugar and what to do to get it back to where it should be.
Learn more about how I manage my blood sugar with exercise by going here now.