According to healthline diabetes as “a medical reaction that occurs when a person’s blood sugar levels rise over what their body can properly address, manage, or stabilize,” citing a definition provided by the American Diabetes Association. High blood sugar occurs when either the body does not produce enough insulin or when cells in the body do not respond quickly enough to insulin. However, when sugar levels are not checked and begin to build up in the blood and circulate throughout the body to the cells and organs, the body generates certain signs as indicators to make you aware that the level of glucose in the body has risen beyond normal, but many people do not recognize these signals until the situation has gotten out of hand. If you notice any of the three symptoms I’ll briefly discuss below, however, it’s time to get checked out or go for a Diabetes test.
1. You should see a doctor if, despite taking it easy and not exerting yourself physically, you continue to experience headaches that worsen over time, disappear when you take pain relievers but return stronger afterwards, and leave you feeling parched and unable to focus, even though you may have a lot on your plate and be under a lot of stress.
If your vision is failing rapidly, if you have problems seeing clearly most of the time, if you have increased urination, and if you tire quickly when working, walking, or sitting, you should get checked for diabetes.
Third, if you’ve recently lost a significant amount of weight and aren’t able to put it back on, you should get tested for diabetes and get an accurate diagnosis so that you may begin taking the best possible medications and receive the most up-to-date information on what to eat and what to avoid. Get checked out so you can treat the root cause of the problem before it worsens or spreads to other regions of your body.
In a summary however, check out these 6 tips signifying your diabetes is knocking the door…
High blood sugar can sneak up on you without any obvious symptoms. In fact, most people don’t know they have high blood sugar until they’ve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes — and they’ve probably had it for some time.
How do you know if you have diabetes?
The telltale signs of Type 2 diabetes, such as frequent urination and excessive thirst, are often subtle, especially early on. But ignoring them can cause worse health problems down the road.
Even mild blood sugar elevation can damage your nerves, kidneys and retinas. And the higher your blood sugar levels and the longer you go without treatment, the worse the damage can get.
“When we diagnose someone, we assume they have probably already had diabetes for about five years,” says endocrinologist Kevin Pantalone, DO. “During screenings, a certain number of people who are newly diagnosed already have been living with kidney problems and retinal issues, so they’ve had it for some time.”
Dr. Pantalone says there are several symptoms that can occur early on with diabetes. Even if they’re subtle, they’re worth mentioning to your doctor.
1. YOU’RE MAKING MORE TRIPS TO THE BATHROOM…
Having to go to the bathroom more than normal, particularly at night, is a sign that your blood sugar might be out of whack. For example, Dr. Pantalone says one of his patients came in for a diagnosis after a family member noticed he was using the bathroom during each commercial break when they watched TV.
2. YOU’RE EXPERIENCING URINARY or yeast infections often
When your blood sugar is high and your kidneys can’t filter it well enough, sugar ends up in your urine. More sugar in a warm, moist environment can cause urinary tract and yeast infections, especially in women.
3. YOU’RE LOSING WEIGHT WITHOUT TRYING
If you have diabetes, your body isn’t able to use glucose (sugar) as effectively for its energy. Instead, your body will start burning fat stores, and you may experience unexpected weight loss.
4. YOUR VISION IS GETTING WORSE
High sugar levels can distort the lenses in your eyes, worsening your vision. Changes in your eyeglass prescription or vision are sometimes a sign of diabetes.
5. YOU’RE FEELING FATIGUED OR EXHAUSTED
Several underlying causes of fatigue may relate to diabetes/high sugar levels, including dehydration (from frequent urination, which can disrupt sleep) and kidney damage. This feeling of exhaustion is often persistent and can interfere with your daily activities, Dr. Pantalone notes.
6. YOU’RE NOTICING SKIN DISCOLORATION
Something that Dr. Pantalone often sees in people before a diabetes diagnosis is dark skin in their neck folds and over their knuckles. Insulin resistance can cause this condition, known as acanthosis nigricans
