You might not know it, but you can actually detect a pre-diabetic state by noticing some of the early signs. Presently, nearly 300 million people around the globe suffer from diabetes, which is climbing higher every year. It is important to remain watchful for symptoms of pre-diabetes so you can get them under control before they worsen.
Many people don’t know they have diabetes until it’s too late. However, some telltale signs of high blood sugar pop up way before you have to endure the more drastic symptoms of diabetes. Here are the things you need about the disease, pre-diabetes symptoms, and ways to prevent it.
Types Of Diabetes
There are a few different types of diabetes, and if you’re worried you have it, there are ways to tell.
- Type 1 Diabetes: Type 1 is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile diabetes, which usually develops in childhood. People with this form of disease must inject insulin daily to survive.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Type 2 Diabetes occurs when you develop insulin resistance and cannot produce enough insulin on its own. You may be able to manage your symptoms with diet, exercise, or medication. However, if left untreated, it can lead to serious health complications such as heart disease and kidney failure. People with type 2 diabetes often have a family history of diabetes, are overweight and are physically inactive.
- Gestational Diabetes: This type of diabetes only happens during pregnancy and goes away after delivery. It happens when your body doesn’t make enough insulin for the demands of pregnancy or when your body can’t use insulin properly during pregnancy.
Warning Signs Of Diabetes
If you are worried that you might have diabetes, it’s important to know the warning signs and symptoms so that you can get help quickly. Here are some of the early warning signs you should be on the lookout for.
Being Thirsty All The Time
Being thirsty all the time is a common symptom of diabetes. If you’re experiencing this symptom, it’s important to be sure that it isn’t caused by dehydration or dry mouth before assuming that it’s a sign of diabetes.
It’s important to note that thirstiness and dry mouth can also be signs of other health problems, including kidney disease, infection, or dehydration. If you are experiencing these symptoms on a regular basis, it’s important to see your doctor for an evaluation.
Having To Pee A Lot
Frequent urination may be one of the earliest signs of diabetes. When you have diabetes, your body loses the ability to utilize blood glucose or sugar. As a result, your kidneys will work overtime by filtering fluids and waste products out of your blood to keep up with your body’s needs. It can then lead to frequent urination and dehydration.
If you feel like you have to pee all the time, especially at night, try tracking how often you use the bathroom over a week. If it’s more than eight times a day, this could be a sign of diabetes.
Feeling Unusually Tired
If you’re feeling unusually tired, it could be a sign of diabetes. When your body doesn’t have enough insulin, it requires more glucose to function properly. As a result, your cells will use up all the energy they can get from the food you eat and start using fat as an energy source. This process can leave you feeling tired.
In addition to feeling tired, your body may also experience muscle aches and pains. If you’re feeling unusually tired or experiencing these other symptoms, it could be a sign of diabetes.
Blurred Vision
Blurred vision is a common symptom of diabetes, and it’s one of the first signs you can look out for. This can be caused by high levels of blood sugar, which can damage your eyes and make them more sensitive to light. If you’ve been experiencing blurry vision over the past few weeks or months, this is likely due to high blood sugar levels in your body.
Losing Weight Without Trying
If you’ve been eating the same amount of food but losing weight anyway, it might be a sign that something else is going on. It can be a sign of diabetes, especially if other symptoms like fatigue or thirst accompany your weight loss. Either way, this can lead to high blood sugar levels and other complications like heart disease or kidney disease.
Cuts Or Bruises That Are Slow To Heal
If you have diabetes, cuts and bruises on your body can take longer than usual to heal. Moreover, if you notice that your cuts and bruises aren’t healing as quickly as they used to, it could be a sign that your blood sugar levels aren’t being controlled properly. If you notice this, you should talk to your doctor or healthcare team about getting your blood sugar levels checked.
Dry And Itchy Skin
You might not think about your skin when you think about diabetes. But it’s actually a very common symptom. If you have diabetes, you’re also losing more fluid than normal. That means your skin can get dry and itchy because it’s not getting enough moisture.
Feeling Hungry More Than Usual
If you’ve noticed you’re feeling hungry more often and are eating more than usual, it could be a sign of diabetes. It’s important to note that this symptom is not specific to diabetes but is associated with several conditions that can lead to diabetes over time. Suppose you notice this in combination with other symptoms, such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, or extreme fatigue. In that case, it’s important to consult your doctor.
Tingling, Pain, Or Numbness In The Hands And Feet
If you’ve been feeling tingling, pain, or numbness in your hands or feet, you could be experiencing something called diabetic neuropathy. It is a condition that occurs when nerve endings are damaged in the extremities. It’s relatively common among people with diabetes and can lead to many other complications if not treated properly.
Diabetes is caused by high blood sugar levels, damaging small blood vessels throughout the body. In some cases, this damage affects nerves in your extremities, causing them to become less sensitive than normal (which is why tingling may occur). This damage can also lead to skin ulcers and infections on your feet if left untreated.
Frequent Yeast Infections Or Skin Infections
If you have diabetes, your immune system is not as strong as it should be, which makes it difficult for you to fight off infections. This means that you’re more likely to get bacterial and fungal infections, like yeast and skin infections.
One way to tell if your symptoms are due to a yeast infection or skin infection is by looking at where they occur in your body. Yeast infections usually occur in warm and moist areas like the groin and underarms. On the other hand, skin infections tend to affect dry skin (like on your hands) or cracked skin (like on your heels).
Dark Patches Of Skin On The Backs Of Your Neck Or Arms
If you have dark patches of skin on the backs of your neck or arms, it can be a sign that you’re at risk for diabetes. These patches are called acanthosis nigricans and are caused by an increased level of insulin in the body. The condition doesn’t always mean diabetes—it can also be present in people who are obese.
But if you notice that your acanthosis nigricans have gotten worse, or if you notice it for the first time, talk to your doctor about getting tested for diabetes.
How To Prevent Diabetes
If you have a risk factor for diabetes, there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of getting the condition. These include:
Increase Your Physical Activity
One of the best ways to prevent diabetes is to increase your physical activity. You must make a few changes in your daily routine to get the most out of this strategy.
First, make sure you’re getting at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. Do something active like walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or playing a sport. You can also use technology to help motivate you: there are lots of apps and trackers that can help keep track of your progress! If you need more specific recommendations, talk with your doctor about what activities might work well for you based on your health history and current health status.
Second, try to avoid sitting down for extended periods throughout the day. Try taking breaks from work every hour or take a short walk around the office. It will help prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high while also allowing muscles in your body to rest up after being inactive all day.
Control Your Weight
If you’re worried that you might have diabetes, there’s a good chance your weight is a big factor. When you’re at a healthy weight, it’s easier to control your diabetes. It’s also easier to avoid developing diabetes in the first place.
It’s important to control your weight to reduce your risk of developing diabetes. And even if you already have diabetes, you must work with your doctor to lose weight and keep it off.
If you’re overweight or obese, losing just 5% to 10% of your body weight can improve blood sugar levels and lower your risk for complications from diabetes.
But don’t just go on a diet. Diets don’t work long-term because dieters tend to rebound when they’re done. Instead of focusing on weight loss, focus on changing your lifestyle to support healthy habits that will last for years.
Eat Right
The best way to prevent diabetes is to eat right. You can’t just eat anything you want—you have to be careful about what you eat. But that doesn’t mean you need to go on a diet. You just need to ensure you’re eating healthy foods and not too many of them. Here’s what you should be eating:
- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables – These are good for your body because they are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They also help your body digest food better. Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants that help prevent cancer and heart disease.
- Eat whole grains – Whole grains are good sources of fiber, which helps keep your digestive system healthy. They also contain B vitamins like folate, which help protect against heart disease.
- Eating fish – Eating fish twice a week is a great way to get omega-3 fatty acids into your diet, which helps lower cholesterol levels as well as reduce inflammation in the body, which can lead to arthritis or other joint problems later on down the road when we’re older adults.
Final Note
While high blood sugar is a cause of long-term complications, you must remember that blood sugar control is most effective when you take action early. If you experience any of the symptoms above, don’t ignore them.
Some symptoms can be easily overlooked, and others may even come across as normal or expected as you grow older. That’s why it’s always important to note early signs of diabetes. Get tested, and start taking action to manage your blood sugar levels today.
Symptoms are great signals that something may not be quite right—and it’s always better to catch any disease early on. Early detection is the best way to get diabetes under control. After all, you might not know what type of life-altering damage you’re into if you wait too long to seek help.