How to Prevent Pre-Diabetes From Getting Worse
11/01/2022
Prediabetes is a serious health condition where you have higher than normal blood sugar levels. Although blood sugar levels are not high enough and cannot be diagnosed as Type -2 diabetes, but if unmanaged, it can lead to it. If you have prediabetes, there is a 50% chance of developing diabetes in the next 5-10 years. You can always opt for measures like losing weight, lifestyle changes, exercising, and nutritional diet to prevent diabetes from advancing. If you reach that stage and get diabetes, you can consult with your doctor and buy diabetes drugs online from our pharmacy and save up to 80% on your prescription.
Signs and Symptoms
You can go years without noticing any symptoms of prediabetes unless you develop type-2 diabetes. You might see a few possible signs, like darkened skin in the armpit or back and side of the neck area, skin tags, or skin growths.
If you start experiencing the below-given signs and symptoms, it means you have begun to develop type -2 diabetes and have moved from the prediabetes stage to the next stage:
Consult your doctor if you start to see these symptoms. He would recommend that you take blood sugar level tests regularly after diagnosis and will prescribe generic diabetes drugs to control your glucose levels.
What Causes Prediabetes?
The pancreas produces a hormone known as insulin, which allows glucose, i.e., blood sugar in your body, to be used as energy. In the case of prediabetes, this process doesn’t work correctly, and your cells don’t react to insulin as they should. Glucose starts building up in the bloodstream instead of being converted into energy by cells. This improper functioning is caused due to following:
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The pancreas is not making enough insulin.
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Cells become resistant to insulin and don’t permit sugar to enter and be used as energy, due to which extra glucose stays in the bloodstream.
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Sugar levels keep rising, and this appears as prediabetes when tested.
Risk Factors
Risk factors that increase your odds of getting prediabetes and type-2 diabetes include:
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Being overweight is one of the primary risk factors for prediabetes.
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Increased waist size indicates resistance toward insulin.
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You are at higher risk of having prediabetes if you eat red meat, sugary beverages, and processed food items.
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Zero activity. You are at greater risk if you are less active.
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The risk increases after the age of 45.
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Genes play an important role. If you have a family history of medical conditions like diabetes, your risk of developing prediabetes increases.
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People with a condition that disrupts their sleep frequently develop sleep apnea, increasing their chances of prediabetes.
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Smoking also puts people at a higher risk of developing diabetes.
Diagnosis of Prediabetes
1. Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test
It is a non-fasting blood test that measures the average of the last three months of blood sugar in your bloodstream. You have developed prediabetes if the results are between 5.7 -6.4%.
2. Fasting blood sugar test
In this test, you need to fast for at least eight hours before the test. If your blood sugar level is between 100 to 125mg/dL, it can be diagnosed as prediabetes.
How to prevent prediabetes from progressing to Type-2 Diabetes?
You can opt for healthy lifestyle choices over your current ones to help keep your blood sugar levels at bay and prevent them from rising. Thus preventing your prediabetes condition from developing into Type -2 Diabetes. Try the following measures to help yourself in this prediabetes journey:
Stop smoking
If you stop smoking, it can improve your blood sugar levels and also how insulin works.
Medications
Take medications as your doctor recommends, and avoid skipping a dose. You can buy diabetes medication online, such as Metformin, as it is the most prescribed medication to treat diabetes.
Eat healthily
Consult a dietician about the diet you should follow if you have developed prediabetes. Usually, it's suggested to have a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, and fruits. It's recommended to choose low in fat and high in calorie food items.
Lose extra weight if obese
If you are obese or overweight, doctors suggest losing around 5-7% of your body weight. You reduce the risk of developing type -2 diabetes if you make lifestyle changes, lose weight and maintain healthy body weight.
Regular exercising
Stay active and do physical activities to control your weight. Exercising helps you use the sugar more effectively. Do a combination of exercises like walking, aerobics, and a few vigorous exercises.
Children with prediabetes can follow lifestyle changes such as losing weight, eating less junk food, reducing food portion size, spending less time on screen, and doing more physical activities. As generally, medications aren't recommended for children with diabetes unless their glucose levels aren't improving after these lifestyle changes.
Conclusion
According to research, more than 84% of people with prediabetes don't know that they have this serious medical condition. It often lacks symptoms and can go years without being noticed or detected. Although prediabetes screening can be a little scary and overwhelming, we should grab it as an opportunity to take control of this health condition before it progresses and we face severe consequences of type -2 diabetes. So do not panic and start making lifestyle changes to prevent your blood sugar levels from rising and becoming Type-2 diabetes. Get a diabetes medication prescription online from your doctor, keep your glucose levels in a safer range, and Live a healthy life…!
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