9 Early Symptoms Of Diabetes
If you've noticed these changes in your body, you may be suffering from diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease characterized by blood sugar levels that are too high for a longer period of time. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are more severe and they come suddenly, in a short period of time, while type 2 diabetes evolves slowly, with gradual symptoms. These are the most commons early signs of both types of Diabetes. If you've been dealing with these symptoms, you should see a doctor right away.
1. You have to pee more often.
One of the most common symptoms of Diabetes is increased urination. When your blood sugar levels are high, you need to pee more often, including during the night. This happens because your kidneys have to work more in order to eliminate the surplus of sugar in your blood. A healthy person urinates 4 to 7 times in a day, so if you wake up during the night to pee, even if you already have before going to sleep, you might have a health problem.
2. You feel thirsty all the time.
Because you urinate more often, your body needs extra fluids, so you become dry and thirsty. Those who suffer from Diabetes drink large amounts of liquids during the day and they even wake up thirsty overnight. If you feel the need to drink more than 4 liters of water in a day and you often feel thirsty after you've just finished your drink, it may be a sign that you're a diabetic.
3. You feel extremely hungry.
Because your body can't self-regulate the sugar levels in the blood, there are significant fluctuations. When the blood sugar levels drop, your brain thinks that you're starving and craves sugar and calories. This causes you to feel hungry all the time, even after you've just finished eating.
4. You lose weight unexpectedly.
Losing weight suddenly and unintentionally is a common sign of Diabetes. When you have Diabetes, the sugar in your blood is not transformed into energy, due to the low insulin levels. Therefore, when no new energy comes into the cells, your body thinks that you're starving, so it starts to break down protein in the muscle, in order to provide energy. This leads to muscle deterioration and unexpected weight loss.
5. You feel tired and weak.
Instead of entering your cells for energy, the sugar remains in your blood. In addition, your body has to consume more energy to regulate the fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. Your kidneys work overtime, you don't sleep very well because you wake up during the night to pee or drink water, so you have less energy.Â This makes you feel exhausted all the time, weak, moody and grumpy.
6. You experience tingling and numbness in your extremities.
Another common symptom of Diabetes is feeling numbness in your hands or feet. This usually occurs in the morning after you wake up and it may feel like a burning sensation. The sugar that remains in your blood damages the nerves, especially the ones that are far from the heart. Due to the circulation problems, they aren't well repaired, which causes tingling and numbness in your extremities.
7. Your vision is blurry.
Distorted, blurry vision and seeing "eye floaters" is another common symptom of Diabetes. The sugar in your blood pulls out the fluids in your cells and tissues, including from the lens of your eyes, altering the focus capacity. The good news is that once you correct your blood sugar levels, your vision comes back to normal.
8. You have itchy, dry skin.
People with Diabetes often experience itchy, irritated and darken skin, especially around the armpits and the neck. Poor circulation and fluid loss cause the skin to dry and the darkening happens due to a hormonal change named insulin resistance.
9. Your wounds heal slowly.
If you've got a wound or a cut that just doesn't seem to heal, you may have Diabetes. The sugar lingering in the blood affects your veins and arteries, restricting circulation. This slows down the healing process, especially in your hands and feet.