MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Diabetes is a diagnosis no one wants to hear, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of adults who have received that diagnosis has more than doubled in the last 20 years.

Dr. Beverly Jordan, a family physician in Enterprise, says the signs to look out for include increased thirst, hunger, urination, weight loss and "fruity breath."

"Screening on a regular basis really helps go ahead and create interventions earlier, which gives a lot better outcomes long term," she said.

About 25% of those 65 and older have diabetes, according to Jordan, and in the Deep South that number is even higher.

She says that number is closely tied to obesity rates, which is why it's so important to create healthy habits.

"Provide the fuel in steady sources," she said. "So providing the same amount of fuel on a consistent basis is a lot easier for your body to work with than providing big jumps of fuel here and there."

For those suffering, it's not just a health scare, but also a financial scare.

A survey done by the CDC in 2021 found 16.5% of participants have to ration their insulin due to cost.

"There are definitely some programs available, some ways to get the medicine cheaper through the manufacturer and those type things, so I definitely encourage all of my patients, and really all of your viewers, to be honest with their physician if the reason they're not taking their medicine is because they can't afford it," she said. "We can't help you with that if you don't tell us that."

Since that survey was done, the Biden administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for those on Medicare.