• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

HealthMD

HealthMD

You are here: Home / Information / Prediabetes : What You Need To Know and How To Prevent Pre Diabetes

Prediabetes : What You Need To Know and How To Prevent Pre Diabetes

By Thulasi Ram

Millions of people across the world are having diabetes and each day there is growth in numbers. Diabetes is caused by several factors like heredity, stress, unhealthy lifestyle and lack/reduction of insulin secretion.

Diabetes is a chronic disorder having its consequences on many vital organs of your body like heart, kidney and liver. Prediabetes is a stage that warns you about getting diabetes. If you are sure to make changes in your lifestyle during prediabetes you are less likely to develop diabetes in future.

  • Type 1 Diabetes
  • Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
  • Kidney Disease

You Are Likely To Get Prediabetes If You Have Any Of The Following Signs

  • People belonging to certain ethnic background like Asian, African and Hispanic origin and those with parents having diabetes.
  • People who are overweight and obese and those with high blood pressure and cholesterol.
  • People showing symptoms of excessive urination, increased thirst and unexplained tiredness.
  • People who are above 45 years.
  • People who do not get quality sleep (7-8 hours) regularly.
  • People who develop skin problems like dark patches in the armpits, neck region and knees.

The above symptoms are given only for reference purpose and many people can develop prediabetes without any symptoms. You can easily diagnose diabetes by taking simple blood glucose test. Prediabetes is a stage before diabetes wherein the blood sugar level is slightly higher than normal. You can prevent diabetes at this stage by following healthy diet plan and doing some exercises regularly. Shed some pounds and eat healthy foods and be physically active so that you can bring the blood sugar level to normal.

Ways To Prevent Diabetes and Prediabetes

1. Check Your Blood Glucose

To begin with, you should know where you stand. To diagnose diabetes two tests are used generally. Fasting glucose test is done on empty stomach in the morning. You are not supposed to eat/drink anything before giving your blood sample. Normal blood sugar level reading is below 100 mg/dL and you are diagnosed to have prediabetes if the reading is anywhere from 100-125 mg/dL and diabetes if the blood glucose level is above 125 mg/dL.

Another test for detecting diabetes is glucose tolerance test or GTT in which fasting blood sample is taken from the patient following which he/she is given 75 ml of sugar drink. Blood sample is taken again after two hours and both the readings are compared. People with 140-200 mg/dL are diagnosed to have prediabetes and those with blood glucose level above 200 mg/dL are considered to have diabetes.

2. Lose Weight

If you are overweight or obese you need to shed excess of pounds. Anything above BMI of 25 is dangerous and overweight and people who are in that range are highly prone to diabetes. You can reduce your weight by choosing to eat healthy diet. Eat better and lose weight. Choose only healthy foods that include fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat, high protein and high fiber foods.

You can consult a dietician to devise customized diet plan that suits your lifestyle. Include variety of foods in your daily meal plan so that you are getting essential nutrients. Eat small frequent meals instead of full course 3 times of meal. Stick on to healthy snacks like apple or similar fruit instead of fried items.

Prediabetes

3. Reduce Stress

People who are in medium to high stress level constantly have increased chance for Type 2 diabetes. Psychological stress is harmful to your metabolism and it can suppress the normal functions of immune system. The normal insulin secretion may go down due to stress hormone making you prone to diabetes. Further stress can trigger your appetite level considerably leading you to eat anything you like. Practice stress buster techniques like yoga and meditation. You can listen to calming music to overcome the stress.

4. Increase Activity Level

Sedentary lifestyle has become a major cause for diabetes and prediabetes. With high level of comfort living people tend to become lazy spending hours together in front of television or internet. To prevent prediabetes, you need to increase physical activity.

Go for regular walking or join the gym nearby. You can manage your weight by doing regular exercise. The American Diabetic Association suggests at least 30 minutes of intense/moderate exercise daily. You can also get involved in strength training or weight training exercises twice or thrice a week. Make it a habit to do exercise to get the long-term benefit of avoiding diabetes.

5. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep at least 7 hours a day. Due to changing lifestyle it has become common to sacrifice sleep for many people. Getting quality sleep is necessary for keeping the metabolic activities in place. You are likely to develop stress if you are not sleeping well the previous day. Stress can trigger hunger drive making you to eat more which can increase your weight. This is a cyclical action and hence you can make it a point to get enough sleep. You can check with your doctor if you are not getting sleep since it can be due to anxiety disorder.

Statistics states that more than 85 million Americans have either diabetes or prediabetes. This means roughly 1/3rd of adult population is prone to diabetes. You may not even know that you are in prediabetic stage and if you are not going to change your lifestyle you are at risk of diabetes and related problems. Take decision today and make little changes to your life to prevent diabetes and prediabetes.

Related posts:

  1. Sleep Apnea – Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Treatment
  2. Diabetes Weight Loss : Best Weight Loss Diet For Diabetes
  3. Sleep Like A Baby with These Natural Sleep Aid Drinks – Sleep Remedies
  4. Weight Loss – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Home Remedies
  5. Type 1 Diabetes – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
  6. Blood Pressure – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Complications
  7. Healthy Dieting Tips : Diet For Healthy Weight Loss
  8. Kidneys : What You Can Do To Prevent Kidney Disease and Failure?
  9. Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
  10. REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Filed Under: Information

About Thulasi Ram

Thulasi Ram has completed M.Sc in Biotechnology from VIT University, Vellore and worked as an officer at Indian Immunologicals Limited, Hyderabad. Before pursuing Post Graduation, he has completed B.Sc in Biotechnology from SV University...[Read Bio]

Primary Sidebar

Learn More:

Also Read:

Swollen Uvula

Shoulder Pain – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Smoking Addiction – Facts, Side Effects, Pregnancy, Treatment

11 Natural Home Remedies For Poison Ivy

Pancreatitis

Numbness In Fingers – Causes, Symptoms, Pictures, Treatment

MRSA Infection – Pictures, Types, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Bone Cancer

Cellulitis – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Smallpox – Vaccine, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention

Ear Discharge – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention

Rash On Inner Thighs – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Pictures, Home Remedies

Apple Health Benefits – Know Why Apples Are Good For Health

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – Symptoms, Cause, Treatment

Hemorrhoid – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Internal

Search and Learn More

www.healthmd.net

  • About Us
  • Dr. Latheef Kasala, Ph.D
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
SettingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT