Prediabetes Symptoms

The Symptoms of Prediabetes

The symptoms of prediabetes can be subtle and easy to miss, which is why the diagnosis often comes as a shock to patients. In fact, up to 80-90 percent of people in the U.S. with this condition are unaware that they even have it. If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, your body is experiencing insulin resistance, which puts you at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Fortunately, there are steps you can take right now to lower that risk while developing a healthier lifestyle in the process.

What is insulin resistance?

When you eat, your body converts food into essential dietary sugars that travel in your blood to carry nutrients to all the cells in your body. Insulin is a hormone that your pancreas releases into your blood. Its role is to tell your cells to take in that sugar and convert it into energy. If your cells are insulin-resistant, they don’t open to accept the sugar, and consequently, the sugar stays in your bloodstream, resulting in high blood sugar levels that are harmful. When this happens, your pancreas works overtime to regulate your blood sugar by producing increasing amounts of insulin to encourage your cells to accept the sugar. After a while, however, your pancreas wears out and can’t produce enough insulin, so your cells are no longer adequately encouraged to take up the sugar. When blood sugar levels get high enough, you move from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.

What are the signs of prediabetes?

It’s possible that prediabetes can cause slightly darkened skin, usually in the neck, armpits, or groin. Prediabetes usually has no signs or symptoms, so it’s important that you see your doctor and get prescribed blood tests regularly.

How is prediabetes treated?

If your doctor tells you that you’re prediabetic, the long-term damage of diabetes to your heart, kidneys, and blood vessels may already have started. In most cases, you can reverse insulin resistance with lifestyle changes, medication, or both. Interestingly, it’s not just adults; these same measures can also help bring children’s blood sugar back to healthy levels.

The good news is that YOU treat prediabetes, so other than taking medication prescribed by your doctor, you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to reversing insulin resistance. Here are some ways you can do that:

1. Maintain a healthy weight, but don’t use drastic means to lose weight quickly because it can be dangerous. Consult a Registered Dietitian at Fairfield Medical Center or elsewhere for advice.
2. Incorporate fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and lean proteins into your meals. Examples of lean proteins include fish, turkey, chicken, lean beef, pork loin, frozen shrimp, egg whites, tofu, Greek yogurt, low-fat milk and cottage cheese, and legumes.
3. Move! Add a little exercise and movement to your daily routine.

Are you at risk of prediabetes?

The Centers for Disease Control says that about 115 million Americans are prediabetic, including almost 350,000 under the age of 20. Anyone can become insulin-resistant, but those at greater risk compared to the general population are those who:

• Carry excess weight.
• Are 45 years of age or older.
• Have African, Latino, or Native American ancestry.
• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
• Smoke
• Take steroids, HIV, or anti-psychotic medications
• Have conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, Cushing’s syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, fatty liver disease, or syndromes that cause abnormal fat loss.