Pre-Diabetes:

Pre-Diabetes is a milder form of Diabetes that is sometimes called Impaired Glucose Tolerance. It can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

Symptoms:

  • Blood sugar level is higher than normal
  • Often there are no symptoms
  • In certain populations (Hispanic, Native Americans and African Americans) a sign of Pre-Diabetes can be Acanthosis Nigricans, which is a skin disorder characterized by dark, thick, velvety skin in body folds and in creases

Description:

  • Likely to become Type 2 Diabetes within 10 years
  • Ability to turn life around and keep yourself from developing Type 2 Diabetes
  • 57 million people in the United States have Pre-Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Usually diagnosed in children, most commonly between the ages of 6-12 years and young adults, known as Juvenile Diabetes.

Symptoms:

  • Increased thirst and frequent urination
  • Extreme hunger
  • Weight loss despite eating more than usual to relieve hunger
  • Fatigue: If your cells are deprived of sugar, you may become tired and irritable
  • Blurred vision: If your blood sugar level is too high, fluid may be pulled from your tissue.

Description:

  • Previously called Juvenile Diabetes and Insulin-Dependent Diabetes
  • Pancreas doesn’t allow insulin production needed to turn sugar into energy
  • No cure right now, but with treatment can be managed
  • 5-10% of people with diabetes have Type 1

Risk Factors:

  • Decreases of the Pancreas: Injury or diseases of the pancreas, a gland located near the stomach that makes insulin, can inhibit the ability to produce insulin, which can lead to Type 1 Diabetes.
  • Infection or Illness: A range of relatively rare infections or illnesses can damage the pancreas and cause Type 1 Diabetes.
  • Immunosuppression or Auto Immune Response: Immunosuppression involves an act that reduces the activation or efficacy of the immune system, protects against diseases by identifying and killing pathogens. Auto immune response is the failure of an organism to recognize its own element as self, which allows a response against its own cells and tissues.
A person using a hand held blood sugar tester

For more information:

Diabetes and Nutrition Education
Winona Health, Clinic 2nd floor
859 Mankato Avenue
Winona, MN 55987
507.457.4521
8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday