The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that there are around 100 million people living in the United States with either diabetes or prediabetes. Are you one of them?

Our team at AFC Urgent Care Ooltewah wants you to know the symptoms of diabetes, as well as ways you can prevent the condition in the first place.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar (or blood glucose) is elevated to an unhealthy level. When you have an elevated blood sugar level, you can start to notice common symptoms associated with diabetes.

However, there are some times when you might be prediabetic and not even know it. Therefore, it is important to have your blood glucose level checked on an annual basis.

Symptoms of Diabetes

• Blurry vision
• Extreme fatigue
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Frequent urination
• Extreme thirst or hunger

What Steps Can You Take to Prevent Diabetes?

Although there are some risk factors that cannot be changed, such as advanced age and family history, most risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes can be changed.

That’s because Type 2 diabetes is largely tied to sedentary behavior and excess weight, so you can make changes to prevent it.

Ways to Prevent Diabetes

• Eat a balanced diet low in added sugars and saturated fat.
• Don’t smoke.
• Get plenty of quality sleep.
• Find effective ways to manage stress.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.

Do you think you might be experiencing the symptoms of diabetes? Stop by AFC Urgent Care Ooltewah today! No appointment is needed.