10 Warning Signs of Diabetes
Medically Reviewed By
Dr. Ragiinii Sharma
Written By Komal Daryani
on May 9, 2022
Last Edit Made By Komal Daryani
on Mar 15, 2024
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition that happens either when your pancreas does not produce or manufacture enough insulin or when your body cannot effectively utilize the insulin it stimulates.
Hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar) is the most common effect of uncontrolled diabetes. Over time, it leads to serious damage or disease to many of the organs and systems in your body, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
Diabetes Can Be Of Three Types Depending On Age And Other Factors:
- Type 1 diabetes (occurs in infants),
- Type 2 diabetes (occurs in adults)
- Gestational diabetes (occurs in women at the time of pregnancy).
Diabetes Warning Signs And Symptoms You Should Never Ignore
Blood sugar or glucose levels that are too high can cause severe complications in your body, which can result in some common signs and symptoms.
These are the top 10 warning signs of diabetes:
- Frequent Urination Frequent urination is a standard warning sign in the early diabetic condition of your body, where you urinate more than average and pass unnecessary or abnormally large amounts of urine each time you urinate. Polyuria is specified as the situation of the frequent passage of vast volumes of urine, exceeding the standard daily urine output for adults of approximately 1 to 2 liters. If you're realizing that you're using the washroom even more than your past daily routine, and to the point where it's interfering with your everyday life, you may have excess urination (polyuria), which could be a threat sign of diabetes.
- Frequent Thirst Frequent thirst is one of the symptoms of diabetes. This is often accompanied by temporary or extended dry mouth. As if you were urinating more, that would dehydrate you, and as a result, you'd drink more, but the more you drank, the more you urinated. This increased thirst condition is known as polydipsia.
- Frequent Hunger Frequent or increased hunger is one of the three main signs of diabetes. When you have high blood sugar or glucose, your body vigorously looks to get rid of it. Due to the fact that your body deports so much glucose from food, you may feel more hungry. The medicinal term which is used to describe excessive hunger or increased appetite is polyphagia.
- Unexplained Weight Loss Diabetes is a metabolic condition that impacts how your body uses sugar from your foods, where unexplained weight loss could indicate diabetes. With high blood sugar or raised blood glucose or sugar, you have a lot of sugar in your blood, but if that sugar isn't in the cells, your body isn't receiving the energy it needs.
- Fatigue If your body cannot use sugar or glucose properly, you may feel tired, fatigued, or overtired, with little or no stamina, and feel a strong desire to sleep, which can inhibit your day-to-day activities.
- Difficulty In Vision In diabetes, you may have shifted in the fluid, which can affect the shape of the lens in your eye, resulting in blurred vision, reduced clarity, or decreased sharpness. The long-term effects of diabetes can eventually damage your eyes, resulting in diabetic retinopathy.
- Slow-Healing Cuts And Wounds In uncontrolled diabetes, you may develop poor blood circulation in your body. The presence of high levels of sugar or glucose in your blood can damage your nerves and blood vessels, impairing blood circulation. As circulation slows down, making it harder for the body to transmit nutrients to wounds or injuries. As a result, the injuries recover slowly.
- Frequent Infection In diabetic conditions, you may have a higher risk of developing a fungal infection, as the excess sugar provides a sufficient amount of food for yeast and often results in yeast or fungal infections. People with diabetes need to understand the early symptoms of a fungal infection and receive immediate treatment to avoid severe complications. The most common infection regions with diabetes may include your ear, nose, throat, or genital areas.
- Numbness Or Tingling In Your Hands Or Feet High blood sugar or glucose level can injure or damage your nerves and affect the blood circulation that transmits signals from your hands and feet. Additional symptoms may include burning, sharp, or aching pain or diabetic nerve pain in your hands and feet. The condition is called diabetic neuropathy, which can worsen over time and lead to more severe complications if it remains treated.
- Discolouration Of Your Skin Diabetes can cause discoloration as a result of insulin resistance. A raised patch of brown, tan, or grey skin on the neck can also appear in the groin and armpits, and on the elbows and knees, like skin discoloration. Darkened skin can appear increased and velvety in texture. The condition is medically known as Acanthosis nigricans.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to schedule an appointment for diabetes test or blood sugar test at your home.
Take Away:
- Diabetes is a metabolic disease that occurs when your body does not produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use insulin.
- It is a major cause of mild to severe diseases like blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation in many populations.
- Diabetes is a treatable disease, and its significance can be prevented or discontinued with diet, physical activity, medication, and regular screening and treatment for severe complications.
- Significant warning signs and symptoms are early detectable, which can be very helpful in the early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.
- The three main warning signs of diabetes are frequent urination, frequent thirst, and frequent hunger.
Disclaimer:The blog content has been posted as a piece of information and awareness only. The content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not proposed and should not be taken as medical advice. Redcliffe Labs strongly recommends users to consult with their health care providers to make any medical or health-related decision.