A physician with the Bluewater Area Family Health team says the number of diabetic patients they see every year is growing.
Dr. Patrick Chang explains diabetes can lead to a number of very serious health problems, but is not immediately apparent to the patient until they notice wide swings or fluctuations in some of the symptoms.
Fatigue or dizziness can be indications that diabetes is developing and testing should be done.
Dr. Chang says at the Bluewater Diabetic Clinic they ask patients to get blood work done four times a year and then come into the clinic for a complete check-up.
And he adds the key is early diagnosis. If diabetes is detected early it's very manageable and can be controlled before serious problems develop, but it's much more difficult to control if it's left undetected for a long time.