If you have diabetes, your body does not make enough insulin or can not properly use the insulin it makes. When there is not enough insulin or the cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, this can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, vision loss, amputations, poor oral health, vascular dementia, and kidney disease.
If you have any of the following symptoms, please see your doctor and ask for blood sugar testing:
- Urinate (pee) a lot, often at night
- Are very thirsty
- Lose weight without trying
- Are very hungry
- Have blurry vision
- Have numb or tingling hands or feel
- Fatigue
- Have very dry skin
- Have sores that heal slowly
- Have more infections than usual
- Type 1 Diabetes- family history (having a parent or sibling with Type 1 Diabetes) or age. You are more likely to develop Type 1 Diabetes in your adolescent years.
- Type 2 Diabetes- being overweight, having prediabetes, having a family history of prediabetes, are African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, or Alaska Native person.
- Type 1 Diabetes- Type 1 diabetes was once called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes. It usually develops in children, teens, and young adults, but it can happen at any age.
- Type 2 Diabetes- If you have type 2 diabetes, the cells do not respond normally to insulin, called insulin resistance. Your pancreas tries to make more insulin and eventually, the pancreas wears out.
- Gestational Diabetes- Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy in women who have not previously been diagnosed with diabetes. Every year, 5% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States develop gestational diabetes.
Locate a Diabetes Prevention Program or Diabetes Self Management Class Near You
Participating in a program helps manage and reduce side effects of Type 2 Diabetes and decreases hospitalizations.
Background
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 743,024 people in Virginia, or 10.9% of the adult population, are living with diabetes. The United States spends approximately $327 billion annually on medical costs and lost wages, with an estimated cost of $8.4 billion in Virginia each year.
People with diabetes are at higher risk for eye disease and blindness, kidney failure and dialysis, heart disease, stroke, poor wound healing and amputations, poor oral health and loss of teeth, and vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Fortunately, there are evidence-based programs such as the Diabetes Self Management Education and Support (DSMES) that help people better manage their diabetes and promote a long and healthy life. Organizations offering DSMES services can apply for recognition by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or accreditation by the American Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) and are eligible for reimbursement by Medicare, many private health plans, and some state Medicaid agencies. Covered benefits for DSMES vary by insurer, making it important to verify participants’ benefits at the outset.
Benefits of DSMES
As the CDC states, solid evidence exists linking DSMES participation to positive changes in health behaviors and improved diabetes-related outcomes. The benefits of DSMES participation can include:
- Improved hemoglobin A1c levels
- Improved control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Higher rates of medication adherence
- Fewer or less severe diabetes-related complications
- Healthier lifestyle behaviors, such as better nutrition, increased physical activity, and use of primary care and preventive services
- Enhanced self-efficacy
- Decreased health care costs, including fewer hospital admissions and readmissions
Want to learn more about the benefits of DSMES? Visit the CDC’s website for more information: