Watch for the Warning Signs

If you have any of these warning signs, it may be a signal that you should be tested for diabetes:

-extreme and unusual thirst, – frequent urination, -unusual hunger, – unexplained weight loss or gain, – blurred vision, frequent or recurring infections, – cuts and bruises that are slow to heal, -tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, – trouble getting or maintaining an erection.

Are You at Risk?

There is no known way to predict who will develop diabetes, but here are some factors that increase a person’s risk of developing type 2, including:

-being age 40 or over (although there is an increasing trend toward the development of the condition in younger people), – being overweight, especially when the excess weight is around the middle (ofter referred to as an “apple-shaped” body), – having high blood pressure or heart disease, – having a family member who has diabetes, -giving birth to a child weighing more than 4 kg (9 lbs), – having high levels of cholesterol or other fats in the blood, – having impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose (identified by testing), – (darkened patches of the skin), or schizophrenia, – being of Aboriginal, Asian, South Asian, or Hispanic descent.