Do I Have Diabetes?
Growing up I don’t remember ever understanding what it meant to have diabetes other than Wilford Brimley had “diabeetus” and he liked oatmeal. As a result I was cautious about oatmeal, unless it had (a lot of) maple syrup. I don’t think I understood diabetes. So, let’s break down diabetes.
Understanding diabetes including its risk factors, symptoms, types, and complications is an important component to preventing new cases and complications. Why is this important, do you ask? Because 1 in 3 Canadians are living with diabetes and prediabetes, and yet knowledge of risks and complications remain low. I am going to repeat this one more time because it is such a striking statistic. 1 in 3 Canadians are living with diabetes and prediabetes. So let’s talk about diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that impacts the body’s ability to make and/or respond to insulin properly. There are several types of diabetes, such as type I, type II, and gestational diabetes. I will be focusing on type II and prediabetes as it is the most common, accounting for around 90% of people living with diabetes in Canada.
So what is insulin and what role does it play in diabetes? Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps to lower blood sugar. Type II diabetes develops when the body becomes less responsive to the effects of insulin. This occurs due to prolonged exposure to high levels of blood sugar. As more and more insulin is required to reduce high blood sugar, our body starts to ignore insulin. To over come this decreased sensitivity, the pancreas makes even more insulin to lower high blood sugar. The result of high levels of blood sugar and insulin puts people living with type II diabetes at increased risk for complications like heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney disease, and infections.
I often think about the development of diabetes in the following way. Imagine you are sitting in a room having casual conversation with some friends while listening to music. At some point you stop noticing the music due to conversation. You only notice the music again when the volume is turned up.
So who is at risk for developing diabetes and prediabetes? Type 2 diabetes has often been thought of a disease that effects only adults, however there is a rapidly growing trend of adolescents and children developing type 2 diabetes. You may be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes if you have the following:
I have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes
I have health complications that are associated with diabetes
I gave birth to a baby that weighed over 4 kg (9 lb) at birth
I had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)
I have been told I have prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose)
I have high blood pressure
I have high cholesterol or other fats in my blood
I am overweight (especially if I carry most of my weight around my middle)
I have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions: • Polycystic ovary syndrome • Acanthosis nigricans (darkened patches of skin) • Psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder • I have obstructive sleep apnea • I use glucocorticoid medication
Are there blood tests to help understand my diabetes risk? Yes, there are functional medicine blood tests that can be done to help understand both your metabolic health and risk of diabetes. These tests can help guide a naturopathic and functional medicine treatments to improve your metabolic health.
If you have questions about your risk of diabetes or how functional and naturopathic medicine can help treat prediabetes and type II diabetes schedule a free 15 minute consultation to find out more about my approach. I have over 7 years of experience diagnosing and treating diabetes with naturopathic and functional medicine, and I look forward to working with you.
Read more about the services we offer for diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diabetes.