![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dr-Eileen-Sables-1-1-scaled-e1744863507982.jpg\")
Dr Eileen Sables says more than 300,000 New Zealanders are living with diabetes. Photo supplied<\/p>\nDr Eileen Sables says more than 300,000 New Zealanders are living with diabetes. Photo supplied<\/p>\n
By Dr Eileen Sables, GP at Tend Pakuranga<\/p>\n
As we marked Diabetes Action Month in November, I want to share something that could change \u2013 or even save \u2013 your life.<\/p>\n
Too many Kiwis are walking around with undiagnosed diabetes, unaware their body is sending urgent warning signals.<\/p>\n
With over 300,000 New Zealanders living with diabetes, and thousands more undiagnosed, this silent epidemic touches nearly every wh\u0101nau in our community.<\/p>\n
The tragedy is that many suffer needlessly because they didn\u2019t recognise the signs early enough. Your body whispers before it screams.<\/p>\n
That constant thirst that has you reaching for another glass of water, even after you\u2019ve just drunk one. The bathroom trips that interrupt your sleep night after night.<\/p>\n
The bone-deep exhaustion that coffee can\u2019t fix. These aren\u2019t just signs of a busy life \u2013 they could be your body\u2019s cry for help.<\/p>\n
Perhaps your vision has become frustratingly blurry, or that small cut on your finger is taking weeks to heal instead of days.<\/p>\n
Maybe you\u2019ve lost weight without trying, or you\u2019re hungrier than ever but still feel drained.<\/p>\n
Some notice tingling in their hands and feet, or infections that keep coming back.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what worries me most: people wait. They explain away each symptom, hoping it\u2019ll pass. But diabetes doesn\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n
Every day of high blood sugar damages your body in ways you can\u2019t see or feel, until it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n
The good news? A simple blood test at your local medical centre can give you answers.<\/p>\n
And, if diabetes runs in your family, a yearly blood test is a smart way to stay ahead and make sure you\u2019re not on the same path.<\/p>\n
If caught early, diabetes is entirely manageable. This Diabetes Action Month, don\u2019t gamble with your health.<\/p>\n
Listen to your body\u2019s warning signs. Your future self will thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dr Eileen Sables says more than 300,000 New Zealanders are living with diabetes. Photo supplied By Dr Eileen…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":161583,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[106257,12931,134,111,139,69,12933,15474],"class_list":["post-161582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-diabetes-action-month","tag-dr-eileen-sables","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tend-pakuranga","tag-undiagnosed-diabetes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}