DIABETES: PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION

by Laura R. Simpson, RN, MA, CDE

From the Editor: Ms. Simpson, of the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts, recently gave a presentation in Worcester. Members of our Diabetes Action Network were present, and asked her to write a summary of her talk for the VOICE.

Are you one of the eight million undiagnosed with diabetes? Is there anything anyone can do to prevent type II, Adult Onset Diabetes?

Early Detection

Eight million people may have signs and symptoms of diabetes that they do not realize mean diabetes: Increased thirst, increased urination, tired, irritable or sleepy, blurred vision, dry itchy skin, slow healing infections or sores, numbness or tingling in hands or feet, frequent vaginal yeast infections. Call your doctor if you have these signs or symptoms.

Prevention

Type II diabetes may be prevented by weight control, exercise, and stress management. Weight control means not being over your ideal weight for your height, if possible. Extra pounds create insulin resistance. You can decrease your insulin resistance by losing weight. If you weigh 20% or more over your ideal body weight (for example, a woman five feet tall who should weigh 100 pounds but weighs 120 pounds or more) you have an increased risk or chance to develop type II diabetes.

Regular exercise means doing some form of aerobic exercise (for example, walking, swimming, cycling, three or more times per week for 20-30 minutes, not including warm-up and cool-down. Remember to ask your doctor, before starting an exercise program, and remember to wear properly fitted athletic shoes of good quality. You may need to start your exercise slowly, if you have not been exercising regularly, for example, walking for five minutes and working up to 20-30 minutes.

Stress management may be helpful. Exercise, prayer, meditation, hobbies, talking with a friend, counseling, or listening to self-help tapes, all may be helpful. Stress results in the release of adrenaline into the blood--which causes blood sugar to rise.

Feel better. Find out if you already have diabetes, or begin work on prevention.

A written risk quiz, with an "ideal weight" chart, is available from the American Diabetes Association; telephone: 1-800-342-2383.