Signs of Diabetes
Signs of Diabetes
Diabetes symptoms to recognise
What are the symptoms of diabetes? The majority of early symptoms are caused by blood glucose levels that are greater than normal.
You may not notice the warning signs since they are so minor. This is especially true for people with type 2 diabetes. Some people don’t realise they have it until they start having problems as a result of the disease’s long-term effects.
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually appear fast, within a few days or weeks. They’re also a lot more severe.
Early Warning Signs of Diabetes
Some of the warning symptoms of both types of diabetes are the same.
- Hunger and fatigue. The food you eat is converted into glucose, which your cells utilise for energy. However, your cells require insulin to absorb glucose. The glucose can’t get into your cells if your body doesn’t manufacture enough or any insulin, or if your cells fight the insulin your body produces. This can make you feel more hungry and exhausted than usual.
- Peeing more frequently and thirstier. Normal individuals need to urinate four to seven times each day, but people with diabetes may need to pee much more frequently. Why? Normally, as glucose goes through your kidneys, your body reabsorbs it. However, if you have diabetes, your kidneys may not be able to pull all of your blood sugar back in. This causes the body to produce more pee, which dehydrates it. As a result, you’ll need to go more frequently. You might also pee more. You may become dehydrated as a result of your frequent peeing. You will pee more if you drink more.
- Itchy skin and a dry mouth. There is less moisture for other things since your body is using fluids to generate pee. Your mouth may feel dry and you may become dehydrated. Itchy skin is caused by dry skin.
- Vision is blurry. The lenses in your eyes may swell due to changes in fluid levels in your body. They alter their shape and are unable to concentrate.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
These usually appear after your blood glucose has been elevated for a long time.
- Infections with yeast. These are available to both men and women with diabetes. Yeast thrives when there is lots of glucose available. Infections can thrive in any warm, moist skin fold, such as:
- Between the toes and fingers
- Breasts beneath
- In or near-sexual organs
- Sores or cuts that take a long time to heal. High blood sugar levels can disrupt blood flow and cause nerve damage, making it difficult for your body to repair wounds.
- Numbness or pain in your feet or legs. Another consequence of nerve injury is this.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
You may have noticed:
- Unintentional weight loss. If your body doesn’t obtain enough energy from food, it will turn to muscle and fat for fuel. Even if you don’t change your eating habits, you may lose weight. Find out which foods contain a lot of trans fatty acids.
- Vomiting and nausea. Ketones are produced when your body switches to fat-burning mode. These can build up to dangerous amounts in your blood, resulting in diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially fatal illness. Ketones have the potential to make you sick to your stomach.
Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes
During pregnancy, high blood sugar normally causes no symptoms. You may have increased thirst or need to pee more frequently than usual.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia, often known as low blood sugar, occurs when the amount of sugar or glucose in your blood is insufficient to sustain your body. You might think:
- Shaky
- Anxious or nervous
- Chilly, sweaty, or clammy
- Cranky or impatient
- Confused
- Lightheaded or dizzy
- Hungry
- Sleepy
- Weak
- Lips, tongue, or cheeks that are tingly or numb
You may have noticed:
- A rapid heartbeat
- Pale complexion
- Vision is hazy
- Headache
- Sleeping with nightmares or crying
- Problems with coordination
- Seizures
Hyperglycemia
Many of the warning signs of diabetes described above are caused by hyperglycemia or high blood sugar:
- Severe thirst
- Vision is hazy
- Frequently peeing
- Additional hunger
- Feet that are numb or tingling
- Fatigue
- You have sugar in your urine
- Loss of weight
- Infections of the vaginal and skin
- Cuts and sores that take a long time to heal
- More than 180 milligrammes per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood glucose
Diabetic Coma
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome is the formal name of HHNS. With either form of diabetes, this dangerous consequence can lead to diabetic coma and even death, though it’s more common in type 2. When your blood sugar levels get too high and your body becomes severely dehydrated, this happens. Among the signs and symptoms are:
- Over 600 mg/dl of blood sugar
- A dry parched mouth
- Excessive thirst
- Skin that is warm, dry, and does not sweat
- High temperature (over 38.3 degrees Celcius)
- Drowsiness or perplexity
- Loss of vision
- Hallucinations
- One side of your body is weak.
Warning Signs of Diabetes Complications
Complications of type 2 diabetes may show themselves as:
- Slow-healing cuts or sores
- Skin irritation (usually around the vaginal or groyne area)
- Yeast infections are common.
- Weight increase recently
- Acanthosis nigricans is a velvety, black skin alteration that affects the neck, armpits, and groyne.
- Hands and feet are numb and tingle.
- Reduced vision
- Erectile dysfunction (impotence) (ED)
Discover how you may reduce your risk of diabetes complications.
When to call a doctor
It’s critical to get checked if you’re over 45 or have additional diabetes concerns. You can avoid nerve damage, heart problems, and other issues if you catch the condition early.
As a rule, contact your doctor if you:
- You’re sick to your stomach, tired, and thirsty.
- Are you frequently peeing?
- Have a stomachache?
- Are you breathing more deeply and quickly than usual?
- Have a pleasant odour of nail paint remover on your breath (This is a sign of very high ketones.)