The short answer is yes. Every person is at risk of developing diabetes—the disease doesn’t discriminate based on age, gender, race or any other factor.

How much do you know about this common condition? Our team at AFC Urgent Care Fountain City wants to share some details:

What Does Diabetes Do?

When you have diabetes, the body has too much blood glucose in it. This can be caused by more than one factor—for example, those with Type 1 diabetes have elevated blood sugar because the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin or doesn’t produce it effectively.

With Type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t effectively process blood sugar. This type is the most common by far.

Diabetes Risk Factors

• Family history
• Infection
• Illness
• Disease of pancreas
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle

What Diabetes Symptoms Would I Have?

Every person experiences a medical condition differently, so your symptoms might differ from others with diabetes. But in general, if your blood sugar is elevated you may experience a range of symptoms, including increased thirst, frequent urination, weight loss or gain, blurry vision, slow-healing wounds and extreme hunger.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to lower your risk altogether. Create a healthy lifestyle to minimize your risk.

How to Lower Diabetes Risk

• Exercise regularly, aiming for 30 minutes on most days of the week.
• Eat a balanced diet, low in added sugars.
• Stay hydrated, mainly drinking water.
• Get plenty of quality sleep.
• Watch your portion sizes at meals and snacks.
• Get to—and maintain—a healthy weight.

Wondering whether your symptoms are related to diabetes? Visit AFC Urgent Care Fountain City today to talk with a knowledgeable and experienced physician.