Whether a friend or relative believes they might have type 2 diabetes or they have risks that lead you to think this disorder might be present, there are three key strategies to follow.
Your primary goal is to encourage the person to schedule a hemoglobin A1C test and a visit to a physician. Preparing for this discussion is best accomplished by learning about the risk factors as well as the signs and symptoms of diabetes so you can present them, accurately, as motivation for testing.
Step 1
Take action to help someone you suspect has diabetes as if their life depends on it, because it might.
When diabetes is treated before it has damaged the kidneys, liver, brain, heart and eyes, these organs can be protected. If it is diagnosed during the prediabetic stage and weight loss, cholesterol management and blood glucose strategies are put in place reversing the process is still possible, according to the American Diabetes Association.
The National Institutes of Health estimate that 23.5 million adults in the US have diabetes. That represents 10.7 percent of the population over age 18. Many of those people are undiagnosed and others, having received a diagnosis, do not actively pursue treatment.
To help someone both get a diagnosis and institute therapeutic life choices requires that you know the symptoms and risk factors as well as how to access available resources.
Step 2
Consider the person's risk factors for diabetes, as presented by the National Institutes of Health, and discuss them together.
These risks include being overweight or obese,which means having a Body Mass Index of 25 or more, or having a waist circumference greater than 35 inches for a woman or 45 inches for a man. These can be self-assessed at home.
Ask about the person's medical and family history. If a woman has had diabetes during pregnancy or she has given birth to a baby over 9 lbs her risk is elevated and having a family member with type 2 diabetes increases the risk. Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American or a Pacific Islander elevates risk level and so do several medication groups including steroids used for asthma or arthritis among other diseases, beta blockers, niacin, and several forms of anti-psychotic medications.
Several conditions occur commonly with diabetes including high blood pressure, frequent yeast infections including athletes foot or ring worm, erectile dysfunction, depression, dyslipidemia and obesity.
Encourage the person to consider if any symptoms of diabetes may be occuring. These include fatigue, increased thirst, increased urination, visual changes, and one that few people are aware of, acanthosis nigricans. This is a pattern of dark, velvety skin under the neck, under the arms and in the groin area which develops slowly and is associated with a high risk of insulin resistance and diabetes, according to the MayoClinic.com
Any of these conditions can be present without diabetes but their presence calls for routine testing.
Step 3
Before initiating the conversation about diabetes prepare a list of 2 to 3 family practice physicians for the person to consult. If this physician has a diabetic nurse educator in their practice this is advantageous.
If you know the person's insurance company screen each practice for eligibility by asking the receptionist.
Without insurance obtaining medical care is expensive and difficult but there are solutions. Call the country health department and ask if you can arrange for someone to have a screening visit for diabetes including a hemoglobin A1C.
Approach the person in a non judgmental way. Mention that you have learned that over 1/3rd of people with diagnosis have no idea the process is slowly destroying their body. Offer to get tested together if that's appropriate and quiet their fear of testing by reminding them that most people with type 2 Diabetes can manage it through lifestyle changes.
You can call the American Diabetes Association for printed materials to give the person and there are on-line screening tools they can use as well.
In the end the decision to seek a diagnosis and treatment will remain in the hands of the individual but regardless of their choice you will have made them aware of the signs of diabetes, knowledge they may decide to use at a later time in the future.
Things You'll Need
- Bathroom scale
- Tape measure
- Phone numbers for two to three family practice physicians or internists
- Phone number for a free clinic if the person in uninsured
- List of the risk factors and the symptoms of diabetes
