 As
many as 50% of all people with diabetes don't know they have
it.
Risk factors for diabetes include:
- being age 45 or older
- being overweight
- belonging to a high-risk group (Aboriginal, African, Asian
or Hispanic descent)
- parents or siblings with diabetes
- high cholesterol
- above normal blood sugar levels
- high blood pressure or heart disease
- gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)
- giving birth to a baby weighing over 4 kilos (9 pounds)
Symptoms of diabetes include:
- frequent urination
- constant thirst
- always being tired
- blurred vision
- slow to heal cuts and bruises
- frequent infections or infections that come back
- tingling or numbness in your hands or feet
Because Type 2 diabetes can have no symptoms, everyone over
the age of 45 should be tested for too-high blood sugar levels
every three years. People with risk factors should be tested
annually.
If you think you show symptoms of diabetes, contact your doctor
immediately. After listening to your medical history and symptoms,
your doctor will do a physical and decide if you need testing.
There are three tests for diabetes, all of which measure too-high
glucose levels in the blood:
- The Fasting Plasma Glucose Test is the main way diabetes
is diagnosed. After you've fasted overnight, your blood is
drawn and sent for analysis.
- The Random Plasma Glucose Test. You may undergo this blood
test if you show diabetes symptoms.
- The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. You drink liquid containing
glucose after fasting. Your blood is then taken. This test
can show that you have a milder condition called impaired
glucose tolerance.
If you have diabetes, your doctor will figure out if it's Type
1 or Type 2. Most people with Type 1 are thin and find out they
have diabetes before the age of 30. People with Type 2 are usually
diagnosed when they are over 30 and obese.
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