What are the symptoms?
If you or your child have 1 or more of the following symptoms, especially if there is a history of diabetes in your family, contact a physician to find out if you or your child have diabetes:
- frequent urination
- excessive thirst
- extreme hunger
- unexplained weight loss
- extreme fatigue
- irritability
- blurry vision
If you already have diabetes and are experiencing any of these symptoms, it could mean that your diabetes is not being properly controlled. Please contact your physician to create a diabetes action plan.
Prediabetes
People with prediabetes have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. About one out of three US adults has prediabetes. The chance of prediabetes becoming type 2 diabetes can be reduced by losing weight with healthy eating and regular physical activity.
Preventing and lowering your risk for diabetes
- Having a family history of diabetes increases your risk of developing type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Being overweight and inactive increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Women who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy (especially those who are African-American) have increased risk for diabetes in the future.
- You can lower your risk with exercise, healthy eating, and weight loss, even if you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes. Small improvements in these areas can have a big impact on your health.
- Check your risk for diabetes and the complications associated with it by using the interactive Diabetes Personal Health Decisions
tool (powered by Archimedes).
