10 Early Signs of Diabetes That Shouldn't Be Ignored
Posted January 10, 2022 by James Salem, MD
FsoHigh blood sugar can cause gradual, unassuming symptoms that can sneak up on you. Frequent urination and excessive thirst — the telltale signs of type 2 diabetes — are often mild and can easily be attributed to other factors.
In fact, most people don’t even know they have high blood sugar until they’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that causes glucose (or sugar) levels in the body to rise. The problem is ignoring or writing off the symptoms as something else can lead to more serious health complications later on.
Left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, nerve and kidney damage, vision loss and more. Even if you have mild blood sugar elevations, you can damage your organs.
Diabetes is a common condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate more than 34 million people have diabetes in this country, with nearly 95 percent of those cases type 2 diabetes, and about 88 million more are prediabetic.
Summa Health discusses 10 early warning signs of type 2 diabetes. Even if you have subtle symptoms, it’s worth mentioning them to your doctor, especially if you’re at risk for diabetes. The higher the blood sugar level and the longer you go without treatment, the further damage that can be done.
Frequent urination: Going to the bathroom more than normal, especially at night, is a sign of high blood sugar. Diabetes causes the kidneys to work harder to remove excess sugar from your blood. When your kidneys can’t keep up, they spill excess sugar into your urine, leading to more frequent urination.
Repeat infections: The excess sugar in your urine serves as food for yeast and bacteria. Food coupled with a warm, moist area helps them thrive. Some people, especially women, with diabetes often experience frequent urinary tract or yeast infections.
Excessive thirst: Frequent urination can cause dehydration and you to feel thirsty more often. But, drinking more doesn’t satisfy the thirst.
Constant hunger: Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But if you have diabetes, the cells can’t absorb glucose correctly, so your body can’t get enough energy from the food you eat. Therefore, your body is constantly looking for fuel and you’ll feel hungry all the time, even if you just ate.
Unexplained weight loss: If your body can’t get enough energy from your food, it will start burning muscle and fat stores instead. So, you may lose weight even if your diet hasn’t changed.
Persistent fatigue and weakness: Without enough fuel for energy, you’re left with persistent fatigue and weakness that can interfere with daily activities. Being dehydrated from constant urination can leave you feeling exhausted, as well.
Poor vision: High blood sugar can damage blood vessels in your eyes and you may experience blurry vision in either one or both eyes. If left untreated, permanent damage can occur and lead to more serious complications, even blindness.
Slow healing cuts and wounds: High blood sugar can damage nerves and blood vessels, impairing blood circulation. Poor blood circulation restricts the necessary nutrients and oxygen from getting to cuts and wounds for proper healing. As a result, it can take weeks or even months to heal, increasing your risk for infection.
Tingling or numbness: Poor blood circulation and nerve damage can cause tingling, numbness or pain in your hands and feet.
Dark skin patches: Diabetes can cause dark, velvety patches of skin in the folds of your neck, armpits or groin due to an excess of insulin in the blood.
Regular testing is key to avoiding complications
Because diabetes symptoms can be subtle, it’s important to see your doctor regularly for checkups and diabetes screening.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends everyone age 45 and older be screened for diabetes. However, testing is recommended at any age if you have one or more risk factors for diabetes, including:
- Being overweight or obese
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor diet
- Family history
The test for diabetes is often a simple blood test. For normal results, the ADA recommends repeat screening every three years.
If caught early, type 2 diabetes can be very manageable. Lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and regular exercise, can go a long way in managing the condition.
Be sure to talk to your doctor about an evaluation at the first sign of symptoms. Early detection and treatment is vital to improving your quality of life and vastly reducing your risk of severe complications.
Talk to a Summa Health family physician about diabetes screening. To learn more about Summa Health Outpatient Diabetes Services, call 234.312.6420.
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The sweeter things in life are present at most celebrations...weddings, birthdays, work promotions, new baby, office parties...you get the idea. But if you are like many Americans trying to cut back on your refined sugar intake for health reasons and/or weight management, you may think opting for sugar replacements might be a healthier choice.
When it comes to real sugar (sucrose) versus artificial sweeteners, like the ones found in diet sodas and ‘zero-calorie”…
According to the American Psychiatric Association, eating disorders affect millions of Americans, mostly women between 12 and 35 years old. There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder (BED). The focus of this blog post will be on BED.
BED is the most common eating disorder in the US. It can be characterized by recurring episodes in which large quantities of food are consumed (more food than most people would consume over the same…
Most of us know that too much sugar is not good for our overall health. But what you may not know is that growing research is showing what’s bad for the body may also be bad for the brain.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports found that a group of men between 35 and 55 who consumed more than 67 grams of sugar daily from sweetened foods and beverages were more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and other common mental disorders after 5 years, compared with men with a lower daily sugar intake. In no way does this imply that excess sugar causes mental disorders in the general population; rather this was a select study which also found no similar correlation for the women who participated in the research.
Paleo, keto, macros, carbs, complex carbs, clean eating, plant-based...we could keep going but I think you get the idea. With so many buzzwords out there, it can be difficult to analyze which ones would be a good addition to your weight loss journey or can help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let’s explore one of these nutrition buzzwords: Macros.
Macros are short for macronutrients. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates and fats and make up the caloric content of food.
Deep, consistent, quality sleep can not only make you feel great during the day; it can also improve your health. Sleep can boost your mood, help you maintain a healthy body weight and help your heart and mind function at tip-top levels.
But, for some of us, a solid night's sleep may seem like a dream. Lack of sleep can affect our brain's ability to react properly; so much so, that our body’s overall health can be at risk.
Deep, consistent, quality sleep can not only make you feel great during the day; it can also improve your health. Sleep can boost your mood, help you maintain a healthy body weight and help your heart and mind function at tip-top levels.
But, for some of us, a solid night's sleep may seem like a dream. Lack of sleep can affect our brain's ability to react properly; so much so, that our body’s overall health can be at risk.
Deep, consistent, quality sleep can not only make you feel great during the day; it can also improve your health. Sleep can boost your mood, help you maintain a healthy body weight and help your heart and mind function at tip-top levels.
But, for some of us, a solid night's sleep may seem like a dream. Lack of sleep can affect our brain's ability to react properly; so much so, that our body’s overall health can be at risk.
Perhaps you and your partner are thinking of a more permanent solution to birth control. If you’ve had the conversation of vasectomy versus tubal ligation - “getting your tubes tied” - you might be interested to learn that a vasectomy is a much easier procedure, is more effective at preventing pregnancy and has a much lower risk of side effects or complications. It’s also much cheaper; tubal ligation requires general anesthesia and surgery; a vasectomy only requires local anesthesia and an oral sedative.
It is never too late to adjust your skincare routine. Think of it like a new exercise routine: with a little dedication, determination and education you can undo or halt bad habits.
Around the age of 30, the body’s collagen production slows down. Collagen plays a big part in the elasticity our skin has. When that production slows down, we tend to see our skin change with the addition of dark spots, larger pores, fine lines and wrinkles.
Atkins, paleo, low-carb, no carb, how do you choose? If weight loss is a priority for you, or if you are just looking to eat healthier, there is an abundance of diets, meal plans and fads out there.
But what exactly are carbohydrates (carbs) and why are some of them so “bad” for us? Below is a breakdown of the types of carbohydrates, what they do to our bodies, which ones we can eat and those to avoid.
When you think of February, you may think of Valentine's Day, chocolate and flowers. February also marks American Heart Month, a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. But the good news is it's also one of the most preventable.
Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart…
When you think of February, you may think of Valentine's Day, chocolate and flowers. February also marks American Heart Month, a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. But the good news is it's also one of the most preventable.
Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart…
When you think of February, you may think of Valentine's Day, chocolate and flowers. February also marks American Heart Month, a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. But the good news is it's also one of the most preventable.
Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart…
Medical Nutrition Therapy or Nutrition Education?
Obesity currently affects 34% of all Americans. It contributes to many other conditions, including Type 2 Diabetes, GERD, Sleep Apnea, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, Joint Disorders, and a variety of cancers. Improving or eliminating obesity often can improve or cure these conditions, including Type 2 Diabetes.
A registered dietitian can approach obesity through either medical nutrition therapy or nutrition education.
Medical…
We eat for many reasons beyond hunger, which is why learning to eat mindfully helps you maintain or even lose weight if desired. As we celebrate Healthy Weight week this week, here are ten tips that provide some food for thought.
1. Reject the Diet Mentality.Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily and permanently. Get angry at the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time a new diet…