Prediabetes: The Warning Stage Most People Miss
Have you ever heard of Pre-Diabetes? You can think of it as the little sister of Diabetes. Still bothersome but not as bad as the older sister Diabetes.
Pre-Diabetes is when you have high blood sugar level BUT not high enough to be diagnosed with Diabetes. What does that even mean?
Well, you need blood sugar to run different parts of your body. So zero blood sugar is not a viable option but too much blood sugar can be overwhelming to the body and cause different problems and damage in the body.
Technically, Pre-Diabetes does not have a set amount of symptoms that are concerning for Pre-Diabetes. What happens is someone can have symptoms concerning for Diabetes and not fully meet the criteria for Diabetes but instead meet the criteria for Pre-Diabetes.
Pre-Diabetes is a medical disorder created to help WARN people that they were close to developing Diabetes. There are a few ways Pre-Diabetes is diagnosed but the most common is through the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) blood test where a value between 5.7% and 6.4% is in Pre-Diabetes range. Diabetes is diagnosed when the HbA1c is greater than 6.5%.
Symptoms potentially related to Diabetes are associated with increased blood sugar level and insulin resistance. These symptoms include frequent urination, fatigue, increased thirst, increased hunger, or darkened skin patches. Indirect symptoms include frequent yeast infections or waking up to pee in the middle of the night. People with these symptoms should be screened for Diabetes and in turn Pre-Diabetes.
Like mentioned before Pre-Diabetes is a warning sign for increased risk of developing Diabetes. It is important to try and decrease the blood sugar level by decreasing intake of carbohydrates and sugary foods as well as increasing physical activity and water intake.
If someone with Pre-Diabetes is unable to lower their blood sugar level they are at increased risks of developing Diabetes and needing to consider medications. But one caveat to Pre-Diabetes is if you have it too long medications may still be recommended in order to prevent the harm of long term elevated blood sugar levels, even if not quiet Diabetes level.
Do you know your Hemoglobin A1c level? Many adults should get screened for Pre-Diabetes/Diabetes yearly if they are over 45 years old, are overweight, have a family history, have high blood pressure, or have high cholesterol. Make an appointment with your doctor to get screened if you have not been recently. Additionally, many people with Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes should be getting their Hemoglobin A1c checked multiple times a year if there are concerns of poor control or increased levels.
Harris Family Health is a membership based clinic providing quality, convenient, and personalized primary care services to adults and children in Downtown Flint.
