Early Symptoms Of Diabetes To Recognize For A Timely Diagnosis
Do you know which country is dubbed as the “diabetes capital” of the world? Not something to be proud of, but It’s India. With over 31.7 million diabetic people, India tops the list of countries with the highest number of diabetes cases. What’s worse is, the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicted that this number will double by 2023! That’s not too far, guys. And we definitely don’t want to be one of them, do we?
Diabetes is a medical condition that is sometimes difficult to diagnose until the situation becomes serious. Genetics plays an instrumental role in diabetes (1). If your mother is diabetic, and if your grandmother is diabetic too, you are at risk. Another important factor that could make you prone to diabetes is the type of lifestyle you are accustomed to.
Types Of Diabetes
There are various types in diabetes, and each one differs in its effects. The majority of the population is affected by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a condition that develops in the early years of life because of low or negligible insulin in the body (2). Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is the direct result of incorrect lifestyle choices (3). Among the other types, gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young) is a rare type that affects individuals under the age of 25. However, irrespective of the type, the primary symptoms remain the same. You needn’t get worked up and run to the lab for a test. Just look for signs and symptoms before pressing the panic button.
Here’s a list of red flags that you need to be wary of:
1. Excessive Thirst And Frequent Urination
Unusual thirst (also known as polydipsia) that makes you feel like even gallons of water wouldn’t be sufficient to quench it, arises either due to excessive salt in your diet, rigorous workouts, warm weather or because of an underlying threat of diabetes. Of late, have you found yourself taking more pee breaks than the number of your working hours?
Your body is asking for more water because it is losing more water, and this is a big red flag for your insulin levels (4). See a doctor if you’re drinking and eliminating more than a gallon of water a day.
2. Hunger Pangs And Fatigue
The food that you eat is converted into glucose. This is used as energy by your cells to perform physiological functions. But, there is a catch here. For the food to be converted into glucose, there needs to be enough insulin. If your body isn’t making enough insulin you tend to feel more hungry (also known as polyphagia) (5). And if your cells are resisting the insulin (they are denying entry to glucose), you are bound to feel drained out (6).
3. Unexplained Weight Loss
A drop in our weight and we go bonkers. Well, perhaps it’s good for you. But, if you’re losing weight without any workouts, diets, or stress, then you might want to just knock at the doctor’s door. If your appetite has increased and you’re still losing weight, it could be a major tell-tale of diabetes (7). When your blood sugar levels are at an all-time high, the cells aren’t getting enough insulin. To compensate for this insulin and energy drop, your body breaks down the muscles. This causes unhealthy weight loss.
4. Slow Healing Of Wounds
So, you have a cut on your finger that hasn’t healed in ages now? Have you treated it appropriately? If your wound refuses to heal even after a considerable amount of time, it is pointing you in the direction of insulin irregularities. As a result of this (and the consequent neuropathy), the blood circulation is affected, making it difficult for the blood to reach specific areas (8). And this blood flow is necessary for wounds and sores to heal.
5. Eyesight Issues And Blurred Vision
One might wonder what the correlation between the eyesight and insulin is. But, let us tell you that the changing fluid levels in your body have a direct effect on the lens of your eye. When the glucose in the blood is more than required, the shape of the lens and the eye changes. This causes blurred vision and floaters in the eye (9).
6. Dry Mouth And Irritated Skin
This is a tricky symptom. But itchy and irritated skin is often a sign of an underlying deficiency or disease. A dry mouth, on the other hand, occurs due to excessive thirst and frequent urination. When you are a frequent visitor of the loo, you get dehydrated and this starts to show on your lips and mouth. So, visit a doctor if you find this symptom (10).
7. Yeast Infections
Ah, the irksome itchy infection that we have all been a victim of at least once. You haven’t? Lucky you! But, ladies and gentlemen, yeast infections are not something you can brush off lightly. An increased glucose in the body provides a great environment for the yeast to thrive between fingers, breasts, and genitals (11).
Like they say, prevention is better than cure. So, it’s always better to identify the symptoms of a disease before it takes us down. We hope you have none of these red flags, but if you do, please see a doctor immediately!
Diabetes is a medical condition that is sometimes difficult to diagnose until the situation becomes serious. Genetics plays an instrumental role in diabetes (1). If your mother is diabetic, and if your grandmother is diabetic too, you are at risk. Another important factor that could make you prone to diabetes is the type of lifestyle you are accustomed to.
Types Of Diabetes
There are various types in diabetes, and each one differs in its effects. The majority of the population is affected by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a condition that develops in the early years of life because of low or negligible insulin in the body (2). Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is the direct result of incorrect lifestyle choices (3). Among the other types, gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young) is a rare type that affects individuals under the age of 25. However, irrespective of the type, the primary symptoms remain the same. You needn’t get worked up and run to the lab for a test. Just look for signs and symptoms before pressing the panic button.
Here’s a list of red flags that you need to be wary of:
1. Excessive Thirst And Frequent Urination
Unusual thirst (also known as polydipsia) that makes you feel like even gallons of water wouldn’t be sufficient to quench it, arises either due to excessive salt in your diet, rigorous workouts, warm weather or because of an underlying threat of diabetes. Of late, have you found yourself taking more pee breaks than the number of your working hours?
Your body is asking for more water because it is losing more water, and this is a big red flag for your insulin levels (4). See a doctor if you’re drinking and eliminating more than a gallon of water a day.
2. Hunger Pangs And Fatigue
The food that you eat is converted into glucose. This is used as energy by your cells to perform physiological functions. But, there is a catch here. For the food to be converted into glucose, there needs to be enough insulin. If your body isn’t making enough insulin you tend to feel more hungry (also known as polyphagia) (5). And if your cells are resisting the insulin (they are denying entry to glucose), you are bound to feel drained out (6).
3. Unexplained Weight Loss
A drop in our weight and we go bonkers. Well, perhaps it’s good for you. But, if you’re losing weight without any workouts, diets, or stress, then you might want to just knock at the doctor’s door. If your appetite has increased and you’re still losing weight, it could be a major tell-tale of diabetes (7). When your blood sugar levels are at an all-time high, the cells aren’t getting enough insulin. To compensate for this insulin and energy drop, your body breaks down the muscles. This causes unhealthy weight loss.
4. Slow Healing Of Wounds
So, you have a cut on your finger that hasn’t healed in ages now? Have you treated it appropriately? If your wound refuses to heal even after a considerable amount of time, it is pointing you in the direction of insulin irregularities. As a result of this (and the consequent neuropathy), the blood circulation is affected, making it difficult for the blood to reach specific areas (8). And this blood flow is necessary for wounds and sores to heal.
5. Eyesight Issues And Blurred Vision
One might wonder what the correlation between the eyesight and insulin is. But, let us tell you that the changing fluid levels in your body have a direct effect on the lens of your eye. When the glucose in the blood is more than required, the shape of the lens and the eye changes. This causes blurred vision and floaters in the eye (9).
6. Dry Mouth And Irritated Skin
This is a tricky symptom. But itchy and irritated skin is often a sign of an underlying deficiency or disease. A dry mouth, on the other hand, occurs due to excessive thirst and frequent urination. When you are a frequent visitor of the loo, you get dehydrated and this starts to show on your lips and mouth. So, visit a doctor if you find this symptom (10).
7. Yeast Infections
Ah, the irksome itchy infection that we have all been a victim of at least once. You haven’t? Lucky you! But, ladies and gentlemen, yeast infections are not something you can brush off lightly. An increased glucose in the body provides a great environment for the yeast to thrive between fingers, breasts, and genitals (11).
Like they say, prevention is better than cure. So, it’s always better to identify the symptoms of a disease before it takes us down. We hope you have none of these red flags, but if you do, please see a doctor immediately!
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