Diabetes: Are You At Risk?
Diabetes requires daily self care and if complications develop, it can have a significant impact on quality of life and can reduce life expectancy. While there is currently no cure for diabetes, you can live an enjoyable life by learning about the condition and effectively managing it.
We have attached below a “risk calculator” for diabetes to determine your chances of developing diabetes within the next five years. If someone you know in your family has diabetes or you have a certain lifestyle it will be a good idea to see your risks associated with it.
https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/risk-calculator
Diabetes can be managed well but the potential complications are the same for type 1 and type 2 diabetes including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, limb amputation, depression, anxiety and blindness.
Early diagnosis, optimal treatment and effective ongoing support and management reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.
Symptoms of diabetes:
In type 1 diabetes, symptoms are often sudden and can be life-threatening; therefore it is usually diagnosed quite quickly. In type 2 diabetes, many people have no symptoms at all, while other signs can go unnoticed being seen as part of ‘getting older’.
Therefore, by the time symptoms are noticed, complications of diabetes may already be present.
Common symptoms include:
- Being more thirsty than usual
- Passing more urine
- Feeling tired and lethargic
- Always feeling hungry
- Having cuts that heal slowly
- Itching, skin infections
- Blurred vision
- Unexplained weight loss (type 1)
- Gradually putting on weight (type 2)
- Mood swings
- Headaches
- Feeling dizzy
- Leg cramps
Note: This information is of a general nature only and should not be substituted for medical advice or used to alter medical therapy. It does not replace consultations with qualified healthcare professionals to meet your individual medical needs.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms talk to your doctor. A blood test can tell if you have diabetes or not. The earlier diabetes is diagnosed and managed the better your health will be.
