Did you know? Diabetes is actually one of the most common diseases in the US as nearly one in 10 Americans deal with it every year. Why, though? While the causes of Type 1 diabetes are generally beyond our control, the risk factors of Type 2 diabetes are largely lifestyle-related.

Read on as our team at AFC Urgent Care Memphis provides some further helpful information on one of the nation’s most common diseases below.

What Does Diabetes Do to the Body?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy.

When your body’s pancreas has trouble or doesn’t make a hormone called insulin, glucose isn’t able to enter the body’s cells. This causes a buildup of blood sugar, which can lead to serious health issues. We’ve listed some common ones below.

Serious Health Issues Caused By Diabetes

• Heart disease
• Kidney damage
• Blindness and other eye damage
• Increased stroke risk
• Nerve damage
• Skin problems

Why Is Diabetes So Common?

Two of the most common risk factors of diabetes are family genetics and excess weight. Right now, more than one-third of Americans are obese, and obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for diabetes. When someone gets diabetes, the probability that his or her child is diagnosed with diabetes ranges from anywhere between one in four to one in 100, according to the American Diabetes Association.

To lower your risk of diabetes, it’s so important to implement healthy lifestyle choices! We’ve listed some good places to start below.

Ways to Lower Diabetes Risk

• Eat a high-fiber diet.
• Lose weight if you’re overweight or obese.
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink lots of water.
• Quit or refrain from smoking.
• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle.

Above all, our AFC Urgent Care Memphis team wants you to stay healthy and well this year. We’re here for you if you have any diabetes-related questions or general medical concerns, so don’t hesitate to visit us!