Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people globally. It is a condition that affects how your body processes glucose or blood sugar. It takes a long time for people to realize that they have diabetes as it sneaks up in your body slowly.
High blood sugar levels are easy to manage. However, catching diabetes at an early stage protects your body from serious complications. Neglecting diabetes may result in heart attacks, nerve damage, and kidney failures.
Diabetes often goes unnoticed as the symptoms come subtly and usually get overlooked. Recognizing these signs for timely treatments helps in managing conditions effectively.
Several conditions might occur commonly but can cause diabetes in your body. Being aware of these conditions can allow you to seek medical help if needed.
10 Early Warning Signs of Diabetes
Several symptoms can point to an elevated blood sugar level. Some of them include:
1. Frequent Urination (Polyuria)
Known by the term frequent urination, polyuria is a leading symptom of diabetes. Kidneys work harder under a high blood sugar level. To remove excess glucose from blood the kidneys remain under stress. This in turn leads to frequent urination or polyuria.
People can notice increasing trips to the washroom, especially at night. This might state a risk of being under type 1 or 2 diabetes.
2. Increased Thirst (Polydipsia)
Along with polyuria, people can also notice excessive thirst or polydipsia. Since diabetes already triggers frequent urination, the body automatically becomes dehydrated. This continuously makes your body want more water.
It becomes tiring for the body to manage a cycle of constant dehydration and urination. Finding yourself thirsty continuously could be an early sign of diabetes. The thirst comes as a bodily method of indicating high blood sugar levels.
3. Sudden Weight Loss
Occurring in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, sudden weight loss is regarded as an early sign. When the body cannot use glucose for energy, it starts breaking down fat and muscle tissues. This leads to rapid and unintentional weight loss. Despite no significant changes in diet or physical activity people can notice sudden changes in their body.
4. Increased Hunger
Polyphagia or increased hunger is another sign of diabetes. Even if your body might have plenty of glucose it might not process it due to insulin resistance. This makes the body ask for more food to fuel itself.
Initially, people might feel hungry even after eating a full meal. One should notice if this hunger is accompanied by fatigue or not. If you are experiencing both of them together then it might be an early sign of diabetes.
5. Fatigue and Constant Weakness
Feeling tired all the time is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes. If the body is unable to break down glucose then it is obvious to feel tired. Even after getting enough sleep, people can still have a feeling of constant fatigue.
The overall quality of one’s life might be reduced due to the constant fatigue caused by diabetes. Feeling constant tiredness might come as a red flag that your body is not able to process the glucose.
6. Blurred Vision
One of the alarming symptoms of diabetes that acts as a warning sign is blurred vision. High blood sugar levels in the body might lead to swelling of the eye lens. It might affect a person’s ability to focus and see clearly.
As the blood sugar levels fluctuate, this symptom might come and go but should never be ignored. Diabetes can also cause permanent vision loss such as diabetic retinopathy.
7. Slow Healing of Wounds
Frequent infections with slow healing of wounds can be a sign of diabetes. High blood sugar levels impact the immune system by weakening it. It becomes difficult for the body to fight infections and its ability to heal wounds.
Under this, it may become difficult for the immune systems to repair even the smallest of wounds. Issues such as urinary tract infections and yeast infections might be signs of diabetes.
8. Numbness and Tingling Sensations
Diabetes causes immense nerve damage, majorly on the hands and feet. Peripheral neuropathy causes sudden tingling sensations in the body. It may or may not be accompanied by numbness or pain in these areas. It can worsen over time.
People might have to deal with issues such as loss of sensation, foot ulcers, and amputation if left untreated.
9. Dark Patches on the Skin
Acanthosis Nigricans is a skin condition where dark, velvety patches of skin emerge. It usually appears under the skin folds in areas like the neck, armpits, and groin. These skin patches usually are a sign of insulin resistance occurring in type 2 diabetes.
Although these dry patches are not harmful but indicate for a person to check their blood sugar levels.
10. Irritation and Mood Swings
Another major factor of diabetes that often goes unnoticed is sudden mood swings. Apart from hampering physical health, diabetes also affects a person’s mental level. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels cause irritation, mood swings, and depression.
Low blood sugar levels cause anxiety and irritation while high blood sugar levels cause fatigue or lethargy.
Understanding the risks and symptoms of diabetes is vital for one’s health maintenance. One should always report to a healthcare provider when necessary. Proper diagnosis of any of the symptoms may help you in addressing diabetes at an early stage.
What level of blood sugar is dangerous?
There are two types of blood sugar levels, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemia occurs when the blood sugar level falls below 70 mg/dL. Blood sugar can also reach above the levels of 180 mg/dL under hyperglycemia.
Both of these levels are considered dangerous. One of the extremely high conditions includes having a blood sugar level above 300 mg/dL. This can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS). These conditions are considered medical emergencies and need immediate care.
By analyzing such conditions, one should immediately contact a healthcare provider. One can consider opting for homeopathic treatment for diabetes. Make sure to connect with a legitimate healthcare provider such as Dharma Homoeopathy.
Conclusion
Diabetes even though it is a manageable health condition, one should still seek medical support. Many of the symptoms might go unnoticed under several cases but even a slight change in your health condition must be reported. Managing glucose levels in your body should be of utmost importance to lead a healthy life.
FAQs
There are several symptoms of diabetes. Some symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, increased water intake, and hunger. Diabetes often goes unnoticed by people. Hence, you should consult a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis.
By opting to take a blood test you can easily know if you have type 2 diabetes. If caught at an early stage, type 2 diabetes is very manageable.
The blood sugar levels in diabetes constantly rise or fall. This can lead to your body being under immense stress leading to worsening symptoms. Unreported diabetes can cause organ and tissue damage.
