A recent report released by the American Diabetes
Association and the Georgia Department of Human Resources showed
that more than 217,000 Georgians have been diagnosed with
diabetes. Another 108,000 are undiagnosed.

And only 6 percent of diagnosed Georgians reported
meeting the minimal standards for routine medical care.

Detection, Treatment Are
Key

But early detection and proper treatment of diabetes is
paramount to living a healthy life with the disease. The first
place to look to see if you are at risk is your family tree. Type
2 diabetes, the most common type, has a strong genetic link.

“Often a close relative has the disease,” said Connie
Crawley, an extension nutrition specialist with the University of
Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “This should
alert someone that they might be at risk.”

Other warning signs include extreme thirst, frequent need
to urinate, unusual fatigue, an infection or wound that won’t
heal, unexplained weight loss and/or blurred vision.

“Someone with a history of diabetes in the family should
be screened for it regularly, especially after age 45,” Crawley
said. “I would think at least every few years, if not yearly. I
would really encourage screening if someone is overweight and
out-of-shape or has had gestational diabetes when they were
pregnant.”

Check Family
History

If you have a family history of diabetes or have
symptoms, many health departments now provide blood glucose
testing free for adults. You can also be tested at pharmacies,
hospitals, federally funded community clinics and doctors’
offices.

“Unfortunately, many people either don’t access or can’t
access routine medical care,” Crawley said. “So they may have
Type 2 diabetes up to 10 years before it is diagnosed. The
symptoms can be very subtle and misjudged for just the regular
signs of aging.”

Where To Get Help

UGA Extension Service county offices offer several
programs to help Georgians live a healthy lifestyle. The
Walk-a-Weigh program is ideal for someone with diabetes. It
stresses walking and provides menus for those with the
disease.

“Every two months, we still publish the Diabetes
Lifelines newsletter,” Crawley said. “It is also put up on the
Web. We’re just now having it translated into Spanish.”

Contact your county extension office, too, for a set of
16 diabetes fact sheets on aspects of diabetes
self-management.