Diabetes affects millions of people in the United States every day. The disease affects the production of insulin in your body and may lead to sugar build up in your blood. If not managed it may also damage nerves, blood vessels, the heart and the kidneys. 

AFC Urgent Care Malden is here to educate you about the dangers of developing diabetes. Trust us, this is a health condition you want to avoid this American Diabetes Month.  Here’s what you should know about diabetes, risk factors, symptoms and prevention.

Did you know that there are 3 types of diabetes? 

Yes, you read that correctly! You can easily develop one or more of these types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gestational diabetes

Type 2 is the most common diabetes that affects adults later in age, but can be easily influenced by lifestyle choices like poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise. People who have a family history can also increase the risk of  developing diabetes.

Who is at risk for developing diabetes?

If you answered yes to the question ‘Do you have a family history of diabetes?’ then your risk for diabetes significantly rises. 

Risks for diabetes

• Have prediabetes
• Are overweight
• Are 45 years or older
• Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
• Are physically active less than 3 times a week
• Have ever had gestational diabetes or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
• Have high blood pressure or take medicine for high blood pressure
• Have high cholesterol blood levels

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Did you know that more than 88 million U.S adults have prediabetes, and 84% of them don’t know they have it? It’s important to be aware of the warning signs and symptoms before it’s too late. 

Symptoms of diabetes

• Increased thirst and urination
• Increased hunger
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
• Sores that do not heal
• Unexplained weight loss

Don’t Become Another Diabetes Statistic Next Year!

As the disease can often lead to other health complications like heart disease, kidney failure and nerve damage, to name just a few, it is in everyone's best interest to take preventative care now before it becomes harder to manage. The statistics don’t lie and The CDC continues to report a rise in diabetes:

• Prevalence: In 2019, 37.3 million Americans, or 11.3% of the population, had diabetes.
• Nearly 1.9 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, including about 244,000 children and adolescents
• Diagnosed and undiagnosed: Of the 37.3 million adults with diabetes, 28.7 million were diagnosed, and 8.5 million were undiagnosed.
• Prevalence in seniors: The percentage of Americans age 65 and older remains high, at 29.2%, or 15.9 million seniors (diagnosed and undiagnosed).
• New cases: 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
• Prediabetes: In 2019, 96 million Americans age 18 and older had prediabetes.
• In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled as the American population has aged, eaten poorly and/or become more overweight or obese.
• People with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than people without. 

This year, we encourage everyone to get checked for diabetes by having routine blood work done to check sugar levels. An A1C test can help you determine where your blood sugar levels are at. From there you can speak with your doctor, or one of our providers,  about prevention, or if necessary, to be referred to a diabetes specialist. 

AFC Urgent Care Malden is here to help you reduce your chances of developing diabetes

Are you borderline diabetic? Do you have a family member who is? Are you also worried about the holiday treats and sweets causing a spike in your blood sugar levels? 

Stop into our AFC Urgent Care center in Malden where you can get screened and have your blood sugar levels checked. If you have high blood sugar levels, a lifestyle change may be in order to get your blood sugar levels in check. This can include dietary changes, more exercise and more blood monitoring. If you already have the disease, know that there are still management tools to help you stay on track both mentally and physically. 

AFC Urgent Care Malden is here for you 7 days a week. You can walk-in or make an appointment to see us any day of the week from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, and  8am-5pm weekends. We’ll check you in, check you out and check those blood sugar levels before, and after the holiday season!