Many People with Diabetes Do Not Know They Are Diabetic

Many of those with diabetes are not aware that they are diabetic.
That’s why doctors and others are using National Diabetes Month in November in the USA to get the word out that screening can make a difference.
Of the 20m diabetics in American, it’s estimated one-third of those don’t know they have it.
“Until you develop a complication, having high blood sugar is kind of a silent disease,” said Operation Diabetes co-chair Diana Svoboda.
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and limb amputations.
“The symptoms of diabetes are kind of non-descript,” said Svoboda. “You might feel really thirsty, you might feel really hungry, you might be going to the bathroom a lot. If you’re not aware that these are symptoms of diabetes you might attribute it to something else.”
Doctors suggest if a person is experiencing any of the major three symptoms of diabetes, great thirst, great hunger or frequent urination, that they talk to a doctor or attend a diabetes screening.