|
"While
the exact cause of diabetes is not jet known, there are several
things you can do to
reduce
your chances of developing and/or its complications."
Whether
you have diabetes or are trying to prevent it you should:
If
you have not been diagnosed with diabetes you should also know:
Age
is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Talk to your doctor
about being tested for
diabetes
every three years after the age of 45.
Talk
to your doctor about being tested for diabetes every year if you
have other risk factors.
These
include: being overweight, having a family history of diabetes,
having given birth to a
baby
weighing more than nine pounds, having had gestational diabetes
while pregnant,
having
had a previous diagnosis of impaired glucose tolerance, and/or being
a member of a
high-risk
group.
(Aboriginal,
Hispanic, Asian or African descent ).
Know
the symptoms: frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger,
unusual weight change,
extreme
fatigue, irritability, blurred vision, nausea and/or
vomiting,sweet-smelling breath,
frequent
infections and/or cuts and bruises that are slow to heal,
tingling/numbness in the hands
or
feet and/or recurring skin, gum or bladder infections. For type 2
diabetes, you should also
know
that you may not experience any symptoms at all - which is why
testing is so important.
-
If
you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you should:
learn
as much as possible about diabetes and play an active role
in
controlling your blood sugar levels.
-
If
you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you should:
learn
as much as possible about your diabetes and play an active
role
in controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
The
Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) is a charitable organization
that was established
almost
50 years ago, and has grown to include more than 150 branches across
the country.
In
addition to supporting the research that will hopefully lead to cure
for diabetes, CDA also
plays
a leading role in supporting the more than two million Canadians
affected by diabetes
through
other avenues including education,service and advocacy.
Here
you are able to access some of the Url's that a Certified Educator
for the Canadian
Diabetes
Association compiled. Information from these Url's is likely to be credible. |
