Diabetes is caused by abnormally high glucose levels in the blood. The early warning signs tend to be mild and are hence easily overlooked. In some cases, the disease does not get diagnosed until it has severely damaged the system. When a person has type 1 diabetes, the symptoms start to appear quickly and are much more severe too. So, if you are at risk, you must know the early signs and symptoms of diabetes.
Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes You Must Not Ignore
Fatigue and feeling hungrier than normal
The food we eat gets converted into glucose, which is used by the cells for energy. But the cells also need insulin to absorb glucose from the food we eat. If insulin is not present in enough quantity in the body or if the cells resist the insulin that the body is producing, the glucose can no longer provide them energy. This can make you feel hungrier and more tired than usual.
Frequent urination than normal and feeling thirstier
Normally, a person urinates between four and seven times over 24 hours. But in case a person has diabetes, their trips to the washroom will be much more frequent than that. Under normal circumstances, the body absorbs the glucose once it passes through the kidneys. But when a person has diabetes, the blood sugar levels in the body shoot up, and the kidneys might not function the way they are supposed to. This causes excessive production of urine, resulting in frequent urination. Since you are passing out more urine, the body will need more fluids, and thus, it will make you thirstier than usual. More fluid intake will also, in turn, lead to more urination.
Itchy skin and dry mouth
Since more fluids are being used to produce more urine, there is less moisture left for other bodily functions. This can leave your body dehydrated and cause dry mouth and skin. Since the skin is left without any moisture, it can lead to itchiness too.
Blurry vision
When the fluid levels in the body change, it can lead to swelling of the eye lenses. This makes them change shape and lose focus. These changes can lead to blurry vision.
Yeast infection
Yeast infection can be an early sign of diabetes in both men and women. Yeast thrives on glucose, and when the body has glucose in abundance, it becomes a feeding ground for the organism. The infection can affect any warm and moist fold of skin on the body. The common spots for yeast infection due to diabetes include under the breasts, between the toes and fingers, and around sex organs.
Slow healing of wounds
High levels of blood sugar in the body can hamper the flow of blood. It can also cause damage to the nerves, which makes it difficult for the body to heal the wounds. If you notice that the wounds are taking longer than usual to heal, it could be an early diabetes sign.
Numbness and pain in the legs or feet
Feeling numb or pain in the feet or your legs can also be a sign of diabetes. This symptom is a result of nerve damage from diabetes.
Unplanned loss of body weight
When the body cannot absorb any energy from the food you are eating, it will start burning fat and muscle to get energy. This can lead to unexplained weight loss. Your body weight will start dropping even when you are not making any effort to lose weight.
