It’s true. What you don’t know really can hurt you. Here’s what you need to be aware of to stay safe.
Janet (whose name has been changed to protect her identity)had been rushed to the hospital. She was cleaning the house on a quiet Saturday morning. Suddenly, her chest felt like an elephant was using it as a bed. She sat down to catch her breath. She felt a little better then the elephant sat back down on her. She broke out in a cold sweat. She thought she might throw up. Something was very wrong. She called 911.
A doctor entered her hospital room. First he confirmed what she suspected. “You had a heart attack.” Then he dropped the big surprise. “How long have you had diabetes?”
“What? I don’t have diabetes.” But she did.
One in four people don’t know they have diabetes. People with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke as people without diabetes.
It’s not uncommon to be diagnosed with diabetes when you are being treated for heart disease, stroke, or vision problems. There are often no symptoms of type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 95% of all people diagnosed with diabetes. Unless you go for routine checkups or a screening you probably wouldn’t know you had it.
Janet was shocked! She couldn’t believe it. It’s probably a mistake. Maybe the labs are out of whack because of the heart attack. They’ll go back to normal. Of course, they didn’t. It wasn’t a mistake.
She was flooded with emotions. I could have died! Thank God I called 911 in time. How will I be able to take care of my health? What can I eat? Am I going to be able to do it? She felt afraid. Exhausted and thankful to be alive she knew she had a lot to live for. She wanted more time with her family. She wanted to see her grandbabies grow up.
She found me after she was discharged from the hospital. She wanted to get started on the right track right away. We tailored a meal plan based on her labs, preferences and health goals. It wasn’t nearly as hard as she expected it would be. She knew that with support, attention and education she could take care of herself.
Diabetes that is undiagnosed or not well managed produces high blood sugar (glucose) levels. Over time high blood sugar damages blood vessels and nerves which affect the heart and circulatory system. This can lead to heart disease or stroke. In addition, diabetes is also the leading cause of chronic kidney disease, lower limb amputations, and adult-onset blindness.
November is National Diabetes Month. Diabetes affects 30 million people in the US. Another 86 million have pre-diabetes. That’s 1 in 3 US adults. Some people think pre-diabetes is nothing. But it is not. Having pre-diabetes significantly increases your risk to develop type 2 diabetes.
The good news is pre-diabetes can be reversed with lifestyle changes. Further, these same lifestyle changes can help you manage diabetes if you’ve already been diagnosed. Diabetes managed at healthy levels significantly reduces your risk for complications.
Diabetes is a sneaky disease. As it usually starts without symptoms, it can wreak havoc on your body with you not having a clue. It is important to know your numbers. Take the diabetes risk test. See your health care provider to be screened.
If your numbers are not in target, you can take action to get them there. If they are, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Either way, knowledge is power.
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