How to Prevent Prediabetes from Turning into Full-blown Diabetes

Prediabetes is a warning. Like a lighthouse alerting sailors to rocks that could damage their boat and endanger their lives, prediabetes alerts you to the risk of Type 2 diabetes. 

If you ignore prediabetes, you’ll likely develop full-blown diabetes, leading to multiple health problems, including:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (nerve disease)
• Diabetic retinopathy (eye disease)
• Diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease)
• Glaucoma
• Sexual dysfunction

Nerve damage (neuropathy) and poor blood flow in the lower limbs caused by PAD can result in diabetic ulcers. These raw, open wounds resist healing and can worsen significantly. If tissue death occurs, amputation might be necessary. 

Each year, around 130,000 people undergo amputations because of diabetes.

If you act on the warning when you get a prediabetes diagnosis, you could reduce your risk of all these health problems considerably. At Keven Tagdiri, M.D. in Encinitas, California, we offer fast, convenient access to prediabetes screening so you can avoid full-blown diabetes.

Understanding diabetes and prediabetes

Diabetes has several forms with varying causes, but the most common is Type 2. 

This disease most often develops in middle age, although it’s becoming increasingly common in younger people and children. The primary cause is excess body weight, fueled by a high-carb, high-fat diet and an inactive lifestyle.

Type 2 diabetes comes on slowly as your body struggles to keep the sugar levels in your blood under control. These struggles develop because your pancreas makes less insulin than you need, or your body can’t use the insulin — a problem known as insulin resistance.

By the time you get a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, the excess blood sugar could have irreparably damaged nerves, blood vessels, and organs. However, with a prediabetes diagnosis, you still have the chance to prevent these problems and regain your health.

Diagnosing prediabetes

You could have prediabetes for many months or even years without realizing it because it causes no obvious symptoms. 

Even full-blown diabetes has symptoms that are vague and slow to develop, such as fatigue, increased thirst, and blurred vision. The only way to get ahead of diabetes is with regular screening.

We often detect raised blood sugar levels during a routine checkup or annual physical – another reason these preventive exams are vital. 

If your blood sugar is raised, we look at why that might be and discuss ways to prevent it from rising higher. We also offer comprehensive advice to help you reduce your blood sugar to healthier levels.

Getting blood sugar back on track

At Keven Tagdiri, M.D., our approach to reducing raised blood sugar focuses on making lifestyle changes that encourage weight loss and improve overall health.

Losing weight is vital if you have prediabetes. We offer medically managed weight loss programs tailored to your specific needs that cover all aspects of healthy living, such as:

• Nutrition counseling
• Calorie control
• Meal planning
• Portion control
• Regular physical activity
• Behavioral therapy

Checking your blood sugar levels is simple — we just need to take a blood sample and send it to the lab for testing. If you have prediabetes, we can discuss reversing your condition and offer ongoing support to prevent the misery of developing full-blown diabetes.

November is National Diabetes Month, so there’s no better time to check your blood sugar levels. Call our friendly team at Keven Tagdiri, M.D. today to arrange a blood test or learn more about prediabetes. You can also request an appointment online.