Diabetes is a long-term disease that makes it hard for the body to manufacture insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels, or to respond to it in the right way. This could cause blood sugar levels to rise to hazardous levels. The first indicators of diabetes are often small and hard to notice. A lot of the time, people don’t think these signs are significant or related. But if you don’t pay attention to them, they could lead to serious health concerns later on. If diabetes isn’t treated, it can make a person’s life worse and maybe even shorten it. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to and act on early warning signs.
One of the first signs to look for is itchy skin. Too much sugar in the urine pulls water from your skin, which is your largest organ. You itch all the time because of this dryness, which can be uncomfortable and even hurtful. If you scratch dry skin, it can also harm it and make it easier for germs to sneak in. People with diabetes are more likely to have fungal infections, which can make the itching and discomfort worse.
Acanthosis nigricans is a skin condition that causes dark, velvety patches to appear on specific regions of the skin. The patches are most likely to show up on skin that folds or rubs together, including the neck, armpits, groin, elbows, behind the knees, or on the knuckles. These black spots can happen to healthy people, but they are commonly linked to insulin resistance and may be an early sign of prediabetes or diabetes. You should see a doctor if you see these changes in your skin.
Another sign could be always being hungry, even after eating. Polyphagia is a syndrome that develops when the body can’t use food for energy because insulin isn’t working properly. Your brain makes you feel hungrier because the cells aren’t getting the energy they need. Sadly, eating more only makes the problem worse by raising your blood sugar even more. If you suddenly desire to eat a lot more yet don’t have a lot of energy, it could mean you have a greater problem, like diabetes.
Another common indicator of high blood sugar is that your hands and feet feel tingly, numb, or hurt. Diabetic neuropathy is a condition that can emerge when high blood sugar levels hurt nerves and slow down blood flow over time. Because they are the farthest from the heart, the hands and feet are usually the first to be affected. This can make even simple tasks uncomfortable, and if not treated, it could develop more serious nerve damage.
Having to pee a lot and being very thirsty are two of the most typical signs of diabetes. The kidneys can’t get rid of all the extra sugar in the blood, so it goes into the urine. The body loses fluids while it tries to get rid of the sugar, which could make you dehydrated. Because of this, you drink more water, which means you have to go to the bathroom more often. Most people pee six to seven times a day. If you need to go considerably more often, especially at night, it could mean something is wrong.
Another common indicator is feeling weary. People with diabetes often feel tired all the time, even after a good night’s sleep. The cells in the body need glucose to perform, but they can’t get enough of it. You might also get tired all the time if you have to pee a lot, which might leave you dehydrated. There are several reasons that can make you tired, like not eating enough, being stressed, or becoming older. But it gets worse when it happens with additional symptoms, like losing weight for no reason or feeling thirsty all the time.
Not many people know that blurry vision is an early sign of diabetes. Moving fluids around can modify the shape of the lens in your eye when your blood sugar is high. It becomes tougher to focus and your eyesight becomes fuzzy as a result of this. This symptom normally goes away on its own after blood sugar levels are back to normal. But if diabetes isn’t controlled, vision problems can last forever and even cause blindness.
Another crucial sign to watch out for is sudden weight loss that you can’t explain. When the body can’t acquire glucose for energy, it starts to use fat and muscle instead. If you don’t change your diet or exercise, this situation could make you lose weight quickly. Urine also makes the body lose fluids, which can help with weight loss even more. persons with type 1 diabetes are more likely to have this happen, although it can also happen to persons with type 2 diabetes.
If you have wounds that take a long time to heal, you should pay attention to them. High blood sugar might make it harder for the body to recover itself by making circulation worse and the immune system weaker. If you don’t take care of small cuts or scratches, especially on your feet, they could take a long time to heal and perhaps get infected. If you don’t manage your wounds, they could develop worse and produce complications like foot ulcers or infections that need medical treatment.
Keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range will help with a lot of these symptoms and minimize the risk of issues. You can effectively control diabetes by changing your lifestyle, taking medicines, and keeping an eye on your health. If you or someone you know has a number of these signs, it’s really important to see a doctor. Getting diagnosed and treated early can have a big effect on how healthy you are in the long run.
