Exploring Pre-Diabetes: Unraveling Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

Exploring Pre-Diabetes: Unraveling Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

Pre-diabetes: symptoms, causes, and risk factors

After being diagnosed with diabetes, everyone takes measures and modifies their lifestyle. Unfortunately, most people do not realize they have pre-diabetes. If the illness is discovered early, the danger can be lowered. So now we’ll learn about pre-diabetes and how to lower our risk. 

What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is defined as having a high blood glucose level but not exceeding the specified diabetic level. It’s also known as borderline diabetes at times.. According to research, those with pre-diabetes are more likely to acquire diabetes during the next five to 10 years. Pre-diabetes is diagnosed using the same criteria as diabetes. The patient’s blood glucose is tested in the morning on an empty stomach, and then again after two hours with 75 grams of glucose. This approach can diagnose both diabetes and pre-diabetes. A blood glucose level of less than 5 mmol/L is considered normal, while greater than 6.5 mmol/L indicates full-blown diabetes. Anything between 5 and 6.5 is considered pre-diabetes.  

Symptoms of prediabetes

There are no particular signs of pre-diabetes. The most prevalent symptoms in our bodies are:

Color changes occur in many places of the body. For example, darkness or paleness, which includes coloring of the elbows, knees, neck, and armpits.

If you have any of the following symptoms, you should see your doctor and get tested for pre-diabetes.

  • Increased thirst.
  • Frequent urination.
  • Tiredness
  • blurred vision 
  • prolonged wound drying time.

These are the symptoms of diabetes. When this occurs, you should see a doctor to confirm diabetes with a test.  

The causes of pre-diabetes

Like many physical problems, there are many causes of pre-diabetes. The two most important causes of this condition are insulin resistance and metabolic disturbances.

The insulin resistance

The pancreas secretes insulin in our body which controls the level of glucose in the blood and helps glucose to enter inside the cells of our body from the blood. As a result, we develop strength. A cell’s capacity to absorb glucose depends on its sensitivity to insulin. A decrease in insulin sensitivity causes an increase in insulin resistance, causing the body to improperly use the hormone. This syndrome can progress to pre-diabetes and then type 2 diabetes.   

Metabolic Disturbances

When there is a problem in our body’s metabolism, the control of other nutrients, including carbohydrates, is disrupted. Blood sugar levels rise as a result of this. This is known as hyperglycemia. It may also cause insulin resistance.

Other factors raise the risk of pre-diabetes, including:

  • Age: People over 45 are more likely to get prediabetes.
  • Weight: People with a BMI more than 25 are at risk for pre-diabetes.
  • Waist circumference: Studies reveal that those who have more fat in the waist than the hips are more prone to suffer from pre-diabetes.
  • Ethnicity: Many persons of various ethnicities are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.
  • Diet: The illness is intimately linked to our eating habits. A diet heavy in saturated fat and cholesterol heightens the risk.
  • Family history: If an elder family member is impacted, the younger ones or descendants are more likely to be affected.
  • Smoking: Smoking raises the risk of diabetes.
  • Medical history: People with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other conditions are more likely to be pre-diabetic. 

The risks of pre-diabetes

People with pre-diabetes may eventually run into the following issues: 

  • Type-2 diabetes
  • Heart problems
  • Stroke Kidney disease
  • Eye trouble
  • Skin problems.
  • decreased hearing
  • Alzheimer’s disease, etc.  

How to get rid of pre-diabetes

There is no specific medicine to get rid of pre-diabetes, so there is no alternative to changing your lifestyle. If you want, you can avoid this physical problem by following some rules. Among these rules are the following:  

Changing food habits

  • Include high-fiber foods such as red rice and red flour in your daily diet. In pre-diabetes, there may be a tendency to frequent hunger, in which case eating fiber-like foods will keep the stomach full for a long time.
  • Increase the intake of low-starch vegetables such as green beans, carrots, broccoli, spinach Brussels sprouts, artichokes, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, kale, and cauliflower.
  • Eat carbohydrate-rich foods in moderation such as white rice, bread, sweet fruits, potatoes,
  • Avoid sugar, starchy foods, and fast food.
  • Consume adequate amounts of protein. For example, chicken, fish, eggs, etc.
  • avoid high-cholesterol foods such as cattle, hog, lamb, shrink, and lobster.
  • incorporate curd and milk in your everyday diet. It contains a lot of calcium. 
  • Avoid foods that contain caffeine. 

Physical activity or exercise

Attempt to obtain some exercise or physical activity every day. Because most people with diabetes are overweight. Therefore, it is important to lose weight through exercise. You can walk for 30 to 40 minutes every day. Walking regularly destroys the fat circulating in the blood. Exercise does not require you to go to the gym and undertake strenuous exercises; you may practice free hand exercises and yoga at home every day.   

  • Make a plan for your life.
  • Do not live a haphazard existence.
  • Every day, eat at the proper hour.
  • Avoid eating too late in the night.
  • Eat at least two hours before bedtime.
  • If you are hungry at night, sip sugar-free milk.

You should. Sleeping 7-8 hours every day, because a lack of sleep might affect your body’s capacity to use insulin properly, increasing your chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Remember that pre-diabetes is the ideal time to prevent yourself from developing diabetes. Because there are no distinct signs of prediabetes, if you have a family history of diabetes, you should monitor yourself. The risk of diabetes should be assessed by testing, and if pre-diabetes is detected, treatment should be initiated under the supervision of a physician. Complete management of the pre-diabetes stage is attainable with a doctor’s counsel and a structured lifestyle.