Are You at Risk for Developing Type 2 Diabetes?

Diabetes is one of the most serious diseases affecting Americans. Approximately 30.3 million United States citizens have it in one form or another. Even more alarming, 9 out of 10 adults who have prediabetes don’t realize it.

March 28th is American Diabetes Association Alert Day. It’s the perfect opportunity to assess your diabetes risk. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about diabetes and what you can do about it.

What is Diabetes?

Before diving into whether or not you’re at risk for diabetes. It’s worth taking the time to ensure you fully understand what this disease is. Diabetes occurs when a person’s blood sugar levels are too high. This happens when the body isn’t making enough insulin to regulate those levels.

There are two types of diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. Those with type 2 diabetes don’t necessarily have to do this. Unfortunately, there is no cure for diabetes at this time. That makes it all the more important that you limit your risk of developing diabetes as much as possible.

How Can I Tell if I Have Diabetes?

The best way to learn whether you have diabetes is to understand the symptoms of the disease and assess whether you have them. These are the signs you should be looking for to identify whether you have diabetes:

• Lose weight without trying
• Are very hungry
• Urinate a lot, often at night
• Have blurry vision
• Have numb or tingling hands or feet
• Feel very tired
• Have sores that heal slowly

If you have these symptoms, then it’s important that you visit a doctor to find out whether you have diabetes. Doing so will enable you to treat this disease and regain control of your life.

How Do I Know if I’m at Risk for Getting Diabetes?

Maybe you don’t have diabetes. However, you could still have pre-diabetes or a high risk of getting this disease. The best way to assess your risk is to complete this diabetes risk test from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease.

The test asks you to provide information about your age, weight, health history, lifestyle, and family health history. By inputting this info and adding up the score that you receive, you can figure out how what your risk level for diabetes is currently at. It’s a helpful way to figure out if you need to start making changes in your life to prevent yourself from developing this disease.

Treating Diabetes with Medicare

Although there is no cure for diabetes, you can still live a healthy, happy life with the disease. Doing so will require creating a plan with a physician who specializes in diabetes. Your plan will likely include healthy eating and exercise at a minimum.

You may also need to purchase various supplies to keep your diabetes under control. Thankfully, your Medicare health insurance can help with this. Medicare covers the costs of insulin, test strips, monitors, lancets, and more.

Want to learn more about your Medicare coverage and diabetes? If so, consider contacting one of Time for 65’s partnered licensed agents. They’re standing by to provide you with the Medicare information you need to know. You can reach one by filling out this form or giving us a call. We look forward to hearing from you!