The thing about type 2 diabetes is that it can really sneak up on you.
"A lot of folks have it and they don't even know it because it doesn't have a lot of clear cut symptoms initially," said Susan Steinweg, director of the diabetes program at Carroll Hospital. "You get so involved in your daily activities of working and living and taking your kids hither and yon, and all of a sudden you have chest pain, and you are like, 'Oh my goodness, I have diabetes.' "
The good news is that there are tests that can tell you if you are beginning to develop diabetes, and actions you can take to slow or stop the progression of the disease, Steinweg said, which is why the hospital diabetes program endorses the annual American Diabetes Association Alert Day. It takes place the fourth Tuesday in March each year.
"[The American Diabetes Association] does a lot of aggressive canvassing of the public to get them screened for diabetes and to be aware of the presences of diabetes as disease process that needs to be addressed," Steinwag said. "As a diabetes center, we like to follow suit ... so we wanted to reach out to our personal community here to provide some education and awareness to them as well."
In that spirit, the hospital will be hosting a free program on Wednesday, March 23, called Pre-Diabetes: You Could Have It, which will feature a presentation on diabetes by Carroll Hospital endocrinologist Dr. James Dicke.
"When they are prediabetic, that is when they are great to reel in," Steinweg said. "Once they are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, they can actually slow down the progression of pre-diabetes and possibly stop the progression to diabetes."
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body can no longer properly metabolize carbohydrates, according to Steinweg, so that the sugar glucose cannot make its way into cells to be used as a source of energy. Instead, it accumulates in the bloodstream.
"When the glucose builds up in their bloodstream it's unhealthy because it affects the other organs of the body," she said. "They are also malnourished; they get sluggish and tired, and have no energy."
Early symptoms, when they do occur, can include blurred vision, and cuts and sores that take longer to heal, Steinweg said. Eventually, "There is also damage to the vital organs of the body, such as the eyes, the kidneys, the circulation and even the gums and the teeth, and the heart. We want to prevent that."
But those symptoms sometimes come too late for a person to turn things around, according to Steinweg, which is why the hospital is urging people who are at greater risk for being prediabetic — those who are overweight, live a sedentary lifestyle or have a family history — to go to get a screening.
"They get a blood test drawn in their doctor's office and there are certain parameters that their blood sugars show that indicate they are prediabetic," she said.
Carroll Hospital also offers diabetes screenings throughout the year, according to Steinweg, with upcoming dates on April 14 and May 17. Those screenings cost $20.
However you get tested, once you know you are prediabetic, that's when you are empowered to do something about it, Steinweg said.
"That's when they can say: 'OK, I am going to start making healthy choices. I am going to start cutting back on soda and juice. I am going to choose lower-calorie snacks,' " she said. "Also increasing their activity daily — even if it's like parking their car further way from their work or taking the steps rather than the elevator — any of those kinds of things can help."
Type 2 diabetes is a serious illness that can bring very debilitating changes that lower your quality of life, but Steinweg said the good news is that by taking action, it doesn't have to be that way.
"We are really aggressively out there to educate folks to take better care of themselves to prevent some of these horribly debilitating disease processes," she said. "That's what we are here for — we want to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and keep people healthy and focused on their health."
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If you go
What: Pre-Diabetes: You Could Have It
When: 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 23
Where: The Shauck Auditorium in the Carroll Hospital East Pavilion, 291 Stoner Ave., Westminster
Cost: Free, but call 410-871-7000 to register
For more information on the Carroll Hospital or upcoming diabetes screenings, call 410-871-7000.
