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How to Reduce Your Risk<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are several things adults and kids can do to reduce their<br />
risk of type 2 diabetes. Prevention all boils down to these five<br />
words, explains Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH): “Stay<br />
lean and stay active.” More specifically, HSPH recommends<br />
you:<br />
*Control your weight<br />
*Be active<br />
*Eliminate sugary drinks<br />
*Eat good fats and reduce bad fats<br />
*Eat whole grains rather than highly processed<br />
carbohydrates<br />
*Reduce or eliminate red and processed meat. Instead,<br />
eat fish, poultry, and nuts<br />
*Drink alcohol in moderation only, one drink a day for<br />
women and two for men<br />
*Quit smoking<br />
Symptoms<br />
According to the CDC, there are several symptoms to watch<br />
for that could indicate either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Being<br />
aware of these is crucial, so you can seek early treatment<br />
and prevent a medical emergency such as diabetic shock.<br />
Symptoms include:<br />
*Heavy thirst<br />
*Frequent urination, particularly at night<br />
*Excessive hunger<br />
*Tiredness<br />
*Dry skin<br />
*Unexplained weight loss<br />
*Blurred vision<br />
*Tingling or numbness in hands and feet<br />
*Recurrent infections<br />
*Slow-healing sores<br />
For type 1 diabetes, additional symptoms that may be present<br />
include stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. This form of<br />
diabetes typically develops between childhood and young<br />
adulthood, although it can have a later onset.<br />
Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, may or may not show any<br />
symptoms. At one time, type 2 was primarily an adult disease.<br />
In recent decades, as childhood obesity has become more<br />
common, type 2 diabetes has become more prevalent in kids.<br />
As for gestational diabetes, typically, there are no symptoms.<br />
<strong>The</strong>refore, testing during pregnancy is a routine procedure.<br />
Care and Treatment<br />
Anyone with type 1 diabetes will require constant monitoring<br />
and insulin therapy for the rest of their life. Insulin is<br />
administered via injection or an insulin pump. Another method<br />
of insulin delivery for those 14-years-old and over is through an<br />
artificial pancreas in which blood sugar levels are monitored,<br />
and insulin is automatically delivered as needed.<br />
Those with type 1 diabetes may require other medications as<br />
well. <strong>The</strong>se include aspirin, cholesterol-lowering medications,<br />
and high blood pressure medications.<br />
Diet and exercise, similar to the recommendations for<br />
preventing type 2 diabetes, is also an essential part of the<br />
treatment for type 1.<br />
Treatment for type 2 diabetes requires some monitoring of<br />
blood sugar levels. While some people with type 2 need insulin<br />
or other medication to control it, many people can control the<br />
disease with diet and exercise alone. <strong>The</strong> good news for those<br />
with type 2 diabetes is that with proper diet and an active<br />
lifestyle, the condition can go into remission.<br />
While all factors that play a role in diabetes may not be within<br />
our control, most factors are, particularly for type 2 diabetes.<br />
So leading a healthy lifestyle and making necessary changes to<br />
do so can substantially reduce your risk for the disease.<br />
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