Diabetes can occur at any age. You or a loved one may be one of the 150,000 new cases diagnosed annually.

That’s why it’s so important to understand the disease, its symptoms and how to manage it to enjoy a full, healthy life.

Proper management of the disease is crucial and can help avoid serious short- and long-term complications associated with diabetes. Because of these complications, diabetes is the third-leading cause of death in the United States.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common, with 90 percent of all cases being this type. With Type 2 diabetes, the body either makes too little insulin, or, in most cases, the body does not properly use the insulin it makes.

The specific causes of Type 2 diabetes are unknown; however, genetics may play a role.

Type 2 diabetes develops gradually, and the risk of developing the disease increases with age, obesity and the lack of physical activity.

On average, an individual will have diabetes for 61/2 years before it’s detected through the development of symptoms, onset of an illness or during a routine physical.

Symptoms may include:

. Excessive thirst.

. Visual changes.

. Frequent urination.

. Fatigue.

. Poor healing of cuts and wounds.

. Repeated infections.

. Itchy skin, or numbness and tingling of the extremities.

These symptoms often reveal themselves when the person is experiencing a stressful event, such as a trauma or illness. Anyone experiencing any or all of these symptoms should contact his or her physician as soon as possible.

If diabetes remains undiagnosed and untreated, complications can occur suddenly or over time. Sudden unexpected complications include hyperglycemia – high blood sugar, or hypoglycemia – low blood sugar.

Long-term, slowly developing complications can include cardiovascular disease – heart attack or stroke – kidney disease, eye disease or nerve damage.

Diabetes can be diagnosed through a fasting blood-glucose test. A fasting glucose level lower than 110 is considered normal; a level of 126 or higher may indicate diabetes.

If diabetes is suspected but no symptoms occur, the treating physician may have the patient undergo a two-hour glucose tolerance test. If this test results in a blood glucose level of 140 or higher, then the person is diagnosed with diabetes.

Once diabetes is diagnosed, it’s important for the individual to manage the disease in order to keep fasting blood glucose at 120 or lower to prevent potentially serious complications.

Type 2 diabetes can be managed through a program of diabetes self-management training. This program includes meal planning, exercise, blood glucose testing, stress reduction and medications – in addition to addressing the psychological aspects of living with this chronic disease.

Weight management plays an important part in managing type 2 diabetes, since maintaining a proper weight can improve blood glucose levels.

In conjunction with these measures, the treating physician may order oral medications which work in the pancreas to make insulin absorption more effective.

Insulin may be prescribed if other measures do not lower blood sugar.

By taking advantage of a comprehensive training and education program that includes meal planning, exercise, blood glucose monitoring, stress management and the use of medications, a diabetic can enjoy many years of good health.

Diane Galutia is a public affairs and development associate for St. Joseph Healthcare. St. Joseph Healthcare sponsors a free support group for those with diabetes, and their family members, 1-2 p.m. the first Thursday of each month in the Willette Conference Center, Building 2, St. Joseph Healthcare Park, 900 Broadway. Members share personal experiences relating to diabetes management, stress reduction techniques, and daily coping skills. Diabetes educators provide updates on nutrition, exercise, medications and supplies. For further information about diabetes education and training, call 262-1836.