Could You Be Prediabetic or Diabetic and Not Know It? The Signs – The Beet

With 88 millionAmericans or approximately 1 in every 3 adults,suffering from prediabetes in this country (and 34 million Americans, or 1 in 10, with full-blown type 2 diabetes), many people are walking around with a ticking time bomb in their bodies, and don't even know they have the condition.

Prediabetes is when your blood sugar level is higher than it should be for optimal health, butnot high enough for your doctor to diagnose the disease.It's also known asimpaired fasting glucose or glucose intolerance. The scary part is, 90 percent of those with prediabetes dont know that they have it.

We have all heard that excessive thirst or urinating more often than normal is a sign that you could have diabetes, but what are the telltale signals that you may be pre-diabetic? Why does it matter? The sooner you find out the better, for your health and to know that changing your lifestyle can alter the course of the disease and head it off at the pass.

Prediabetes, unlike diabetes, is an asymptomatic condition. The soonersomeone finds out that they are prediabetic the better, experts say, since it's possible to make lifestyle changes that can reverse your health and get you back onto a healthy path, with simple switches like eating more plant-based foods, losing a small amount of body weight, and being more active, such as walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

"Prevention is the best medicine!If you are given a prediabetes or diabetes diagnosisdo not despair," since you can make simple lifestyle changes (exercise, diet, and losing a small amount of weight) to reverse course on the disease, saysKellie Antinori-Lent, MSN, RN, andPresident of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) and diabetes clinical nurse specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh.

"If someone is at risk for developing prediabetes or diabetes, they should schedule an appointment with their doctor to discuss their concerns and questions. The best first place to begin is with a visit to your providerwhether in person or virtualand dont delay," says Antinori-Lent. Prevention is the best medicine!If you are given a prediabetes or diabetes diagnosisdo not despair!" There are simple things you can do to dial back the condition such as exercise 30 minutes a day, lose 7 to 10 percent of your body weight, and eat a mostly whole-food, plant-based diet, high in fiber and low in added sugars and chemicals.

How do you know if you have diabetes or prediabetes? We asked Antinori-Lent,who makes it her life's work to educate people about the changes they can make to ensure their future health, and here is what she had to tell us:

Kellie: That is a really good question, however, prediabetes does not have symptoms. There is a physical sign of insulin resistance, which is associated with prediabetes. This sign is darkened skin in areas such as the neck, under the arms, and elbows. Some people mistake it as an area of skin they didn't wash wellbut you cannot wash acanthosis nigricans (the name of the dark skin areas). Instead, there are risk factors. These include:

Keep in mind that prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes if left untreated. People can prevent this from happening by evaluating their lifestyle habits, including changing their diet, increasing their exercise and activity levels and seeing their doctor regularly, and working withhim or her to prevent the progression.

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Could You Be Prediabetic or Diabetic and Not Know It? The Signs - The Beet