Diabetes interferes with your body’s ability to create and respond to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. The first signs of diabetes may be so subtle that many people dismiss them as insignificant. If it is not treated, the condition can affect the quality of your life and decrease life expectancy. That’s why it is crucial to recognize the disease early.
Sunny Side is that we created a checklist of the most frequent symptoms of diabetes to help you recognize the condition before it becomes serious
Urination and thirst increase
A rise in thirst (polydipsia) and frequent urine leaks (polyuria) can be among the most frequently reported signs of diabetes. If you have diabetes, your kidneys can’t take in all the sugar that is accumulated. Instead, it gets deposited in your urine, bringing the fluids out of your tissues. The result is that you are more likely to pee and leaves you feeling thirsty. To satisfy that thirst, you drink more, leading to frequent peeing.
The average person can urinate 7 to 8 times per day. Between 4 and 10 times per day is normal, provided you’re healthy, and their frequency of bathroom breaks hasn’t changed.
More hunger
Hyper-hunger (polyphagia) Together with the increase in thirst and urination discussed in the previous paragraphs constitute the three major indicators of diabetes. If your body doesn’t make enough (or at all) insulin or does not respond to it normally, the body can’t turn food into glucose that cells require to fuel their energy. It can cause an increased appetite that won’t stop following a meal. All food does is grow blood sugar levels.
If you are eating and your appetite doesn’t go away, it is better to see your doctor even if you aren’t suffering from any other symptoms of diabetes.
Fatigue
Another sign is continuous fatigue. If you suffer from the disease, the body is tired and restless all the time because you’re always hungry. Your cells aren’t able to produce enough glucose to make energy. In addition, frequent urination can also cause fatigue.
Fatigue is a symptom of various other ailments that aren’t considered medical (carb-heavy diet, excessive caffeine, aging). However, when it is coupled with other signs in this list, it could indicate diabetes.
Vision blurred
If you experience blurred eyes, which is not an indication of more serious eye problems, It could be a sign of diabetes. It is caused by shifting fluids, making the lenses inside your eyes grow and alter their shape. This impacts your ability to focus, and then things appear blurry.
The changes that occur in the eyes tend to be reversible, and your sight will return to its normal as blood sugar levels improve through treatment. But if diabetes isn’t treated, the changes could progress and cause blindness.
Unexplained weight loss
Unfortunate weight loss can mean losing a considerable amount of weight without exercise or diet. Since your body cannot utilize glucose for energy when you have diabetes, it begins burning muscle and fat to generate power, which causes the weight to decrease. In addition, dehydration can cause a sudden loss of weight because your body uses all fluids to make urine.
A sudden loss of weight is a frequent early sign of diabetes type 1. However, it could affect those who have type 2 diabetes too.
Itchy skin
As previously mentioned in the previous paragraph, when sugar excess is excreted in your urine, it carries the fluids of your other tissues, which includes that of your face (your most important organ!). The dry skin may cause itching, and scratching those dry patches could result in your skin becoming damaged and possibly infected. Another reason your skin is itchy can be a yeast infection that is quite common among people who have diabetes.
If you have diabetes, take a look at some basic skincare methods to ensure your skin is healthy.
Slow healing
The wounds and cuts that heal slowly may be an indication of diabetes. The high blood sugar level causes inflammation in injuries and pain and leads to inadequate blood circulation, making it difficult to get blood into damaged skin areas to heal it. Particularly, this is a feet problem, and it’s not uncommon for people with diabetes to develop sores on the feet, resulting in more serious issues.
You’ve discovered that your cut or wounds take longer time to heal than they did before you noticed it, make sure you mention it to your doctor.
Skin patches with dark spots
Acanthosis in Nigerians can be described as a skin disorder that manifests itself as dark skin patches with a velvety appearance. The patches typically appear in areas where the skin folds. These areas include the neck, the armpits, the groin area, the elbows and behind the knees, and the fingers’ knuckles.
While it can be a problem for otherwise healthy people, it is the most typical sign of diabetes or prediabetes and must be evaluated by your doctor.
Numb hands or feet
Tingling, numbness, or pain in the hands and feet (or fingers or toes) is a different indication of diabetes. As we’ve mentioned, high blood sugar levels lead to insufficient blood flow and, consequently, cause nerve damage. The feet and hands, which are the body’s furthest away from the heart, are affected the most.
Like many other listed signs, Maintaining your blood sugar levels in control will greatly help, and your circulation will improve.
It is a chronic condition that can cause serious complications if not addressed. If it is detected early, the more straightforward, it will be to control it, and the more long your life expectancy will be. If you are experiencing any of these signs or any of them in combination, you should make appointments with your physician whenever you can.
