Diabetes: the importance of an early recognition and prompt treatment

I n 2015, 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes, and 84.1 million Americans age 18 and older had pre-diabetes. 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2015. As a result, it is very important that you get properly diagnosed and receive prompt treatment. Unfortunately, a recent study has found that three in ten adults with type 2 diabetes do not begin treatment when their doctors tell them to. Some of the signs and symptoms are unusual thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, extreme fatigue, blurred vision and irritability. For people experiencing these signs and symptoms, the following tests are done to diagnose diabetes: - Fasting plasma glucose test which is used to measure blood glucose levels. You should not eat for at least 8 hours. - 8 hours after not eating and another 2 hours after drinking a glucose containing liquid an oral glucose tolerance test is done to measure blood glucose. - A random plasma glucose test where blood glucose is checked with no regard as to when food was consumed. Early diagnosis of pre-diabetes and diabetes is vital so that one can start managing the disease early preventing serious disease complications that decrease the quality of life. The information above is what you need to know about diabetes and the importance of an early recognition and prompt treatment. The fact that you have diabetes does not mean that you cannot live a healthy life, but the importance of an early recognition and prompt treatment cannot be understated.