5 Indications of Prediabetes in Seniors

Each year many seniors are diagnosed with prediabetes. If detected early, seniors can be prevented from developing prediabetes into type 2 diabetes. A few dietary and lifestyle alterations can help seniors stave off diabetes and enhance their overall wellbeing and quality of life.

Things can get challenging for seniors when it comes to maintaining a high quality of life, but professional milwaukee home care providers help seniors fulfill this aim by encouraging focus on lifestyle choices, which increases the chances of leading a longer and healthier life.

Here are some significant indications of prediabetes in seniors.

1. Rapid Weight Loss

If your senior loved one loses more than just a few pounds in a week, consider scheduling an immediate appointment with their doctor. Rapid weight loss doesn’t only represent prediabetes, but can be caused by other health issues as well, like cancer. Dropping unnecessarily excess weight in a very short time increases the risk of chronic fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, anxiety, and depression. Keeping track of your loved one’s daily calorie consumption will help detect variations in their weight.

2. Extreme Thirst

The signs of prediabetes begin to appear when seniors have a surplus of sugar in their blood. Human body tries to flush our excess sugar, which further results in dehydration. Therefore to prevent dehydration, you loved one must drink plenty of water throughout the day and limit consumption of alcohol, soda, or sugary beverages, eliminating them may be a better option, as these can lead to excessive thirst and can put the elderly at a higher risk of developing diabetes.

3. Tingling Sensations and Numbness

Unusually high sugar levels in the blood can damage nerve endings in feet and arms. Many seniors feel unusual numbness or tingling sensations in their feet and hands before the nerves are permanently damaged. Consider switching your loved one to healthy diets and wearing compression clothes to avert nerve damage. Therapeutic shoes can also be beneficial to protect feet without hindering circulation.

4. Frequent Urination

When the bloodstream carries too much of sugar, the kidneys begin to increase the production of urine. Many seniors take this symptom lightly as frequent urination does not always indicate type 2 diabetes. If left untreated, it can cause secondary complications like chronic dehydration and kidney stones. Seniors who face frequent urination should consider avoiding diuretics like tea, coffee, and alcohol.

5. Extensive Healing Period

Seniors whose wounds do not heal completely or take too long to heal may have prediabetes. High blood sugar slows down the circulation of blood and will lead to extensive healing times for the skin. bacteria and fungi accumulate into the skin when wounds remain unhealed and lead to skin infections. Controlling blood sugar levels is the best way to prevent this from happening.

Help your loved one prevent the risk of diabetes by eating a healthy and well balanced diet. If you have no idea how to help your loved one stay healthy in senior years, consider consulting reputable home care milwaukee providers, who will not only encourage healthy eating habits but will also help them boost overall quality of life and age in place.