Diabetes is a serious medical condition that is sweeping the nation, as rates of those affected continue to climb. At Sphinx Home Health Care, we understand the difficulties associated with living with diabetes. We do our best to tailor our skilled nursing care and Sterling Heights home therapy to fit those specific needs, so your loved one will always feel comfortable and have access to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
We believe that the best path to change is through education, which is why we are passionate about helping all of our patients and their loved ones understand diabetes, how to avoid it, how to spot it, and what can increase their risk of getting it.
National Diabetes Statistics*
- An estimated 29.1 million Americans have diabetes (almost one in every ten Americans).
- Of those 29.1 million, 96 percent have type 2 diabetes.
- Of those 29.1 million, 8.1 million were undiagnosed.
- Nearly 12 million seniors have diabetes (more than a quarter of the American population over 65).
- About 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed each year.
- More than 86 million Americans over age 20 have prediabetes.
- Since 2010, diabetes has ranked in the top ten leading causes of deaths in America, with more than 234,000 deaths each year, and even this number appears to be underreported.
- The total cost of diabetes in America is upwards of $245 billion (counting in medical costs and productivity losses).
*From the American Diabetes Association, 2012 statistics
Risk Factors for Diabetes
While the risk factors for type 1 diabetes are still being researched, the risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:
- Medical history: If anyone in your family had diabetes, your likelihood of developing it increases.
- Weight: Overweight people are more likely to develop diabetes.
- Diet: Your risk for developing diabetes increases if you eat an unhealthy diet.
- Physical Activity: If you don’t exercise or remain active in some way, your risk increases.
- Age: More than 25 percent of adults over 65 have diabetes, but your risk starts to increase after 45.
- Ethnicity: Risk increases for Latinos, African Americans, American Indians, and Asian Americans.
- Gestational Diabetes/Prediabetes: If you have been diagnosed with either of these, you are at a higher risk to develop type 2 diabetes.
- Blood Pressure: High blood pressure (over 140/90) can sometimes indicate a higher risk for diabetes.
- Cholesterol Levels: High triglyceride or low HDL cholesterol raises your risk.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Very often, those with prediabetes or gestational diabetes have no symptoms at all, and even mild cases of type 2 diabetes can go unnoticed for quite a while. Because of this, it is important to be constantly monitored if you fall under more than two of the risk factor categories above. The earlier you catch it, the easier diabetes is to treat and maintain.
Those who do experience symptoms often report:
- Frequent urination
- An unquenchable thirst or hunger
- Powerful fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Tingling or numbness in your extremities (particularly feet and hands)
- Slow to heal from cuts or bruises
If you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes and needs in home care, our trained nurses at Sphinx Home Health Care can help. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, or worried about developing diabetes, contact us today! We can test you or put you in touch with the people who can help.