The signs and symptoms of diabetes are often insidious. Knowing what to look for may be the only the key to early diagnosis and treatment - both of which are vital to preventing future complications. It's possible to have diabetes for months (possibly years) without recognizing the fact, making it all the more important to become familiar with the sometimes elusive clues your body sends you. Don't be one of the more than 6 million people in the United States alone who remain unaware that they are diabetic.
You may be excessively thirsty. You may urinate more than usual. These two symptoms combined are considered classic symptoms of diabetes. Your kidneys are working overtime to absorb and filter the excessive amounts of sugar in your system. When they can no longer keep up the exhaustive process the sugar is excreted into your urine - taking with it other equally important fluids drawn from your tissues. Out with the bad - and the good. The more you drink, the more you pee = and the likelier it is that your body will dehydrate.
You may suffer from fatigue induced by the dehydration. The excessive tiredness may also be from your body's increasing inability to convert sugar into energy as intended.
You may notice a weight loss occurring in spite of having an increased appetite. It's not just urine that gets lost in the process of frequent urination, calories are flushed away at the same time. Diabetes also keeps the sugar from reaching the body cells which need it causing you to become constantly hungry as the cells attempt to find the much needed nutrient. These two processes in tandem can cause rapid weight loss.
You might notice tingling or lack of feeling in your hands and/or feet. This is caused by nerve damage from excessive sugar in your blood.
Your eyes may lose their ability to focus causing blurred vision. This is also caused by high levels of sugar in your blood pulling fluid from the tissues in your eyes. If allowed to progress unchecked diabetes may cause new blood vessels to form in the retina. It may also damage and destroy existing vessels. Left untreated these changes can lead to blindness.
Because diabetes may impede your body's natural ability to fight germs frequent infections and/or wounds which are slow to heal are also a possible sign of diabetes. Bladder and vaginal infections can be especially common in women. Another body area where excessive sugar may cause a problem is your mouth. You may have reoccurring gum infections, frequent mouth sores or you may notice pus pockets on your gums. You may also notice that your teeth are loosening as the bones that hold your teeth in place can also become weakened by undetected infection.
Diabetes is a serious medical condition affecting men, women and children but with early detection and diagnosis combined with participation in ongoing treatment the prognosis can be a for a full, happy, productive and active life.
You may be excessively thirsty. You may urinate more than usual. These two symptoms combined are considered classic symptoms of diabetes. Your kidneys are working overtime to absorb and filter the excessive amounts of sugar in your system. When they can no longer keep up the exhaustive process the sugar is excreted into your urine - taking with it other equally important fluids drawn from your tissues. Out with the bad - and the good. The more you drink, the more you pee = and the likelier it is that your body will dehydrate.
You may suffer from fatigue induced by the dehydration. The excessive tiredness may also be from your body's increasing inability to convert sugar into energy as intended.
You may notice a weight loss occurring in spite of having an increased appetite. It's not just urine that gets lost in the process of frequent urination, calories are flushed away at the same time. Diabetes also keeps the sugar from reaching the body cells which need it causing you to become constantly hungry as the cells attempt to find the much needed nutrient. These two processes in tandem can cause rapid weight loss.
You might notice tingling or lack of feeling in your hands and/or feet. This is caused by nerve damage from excessive sugar in your blood.
Your eyes may lose their ability to focus causing blurred vision. This is also caused by high levels of sugar in your blood pulling fluid from the tissues in your eyes. If allowed to progress unchecked diabetes may cause new blood vessels to form in the retina. It may also damage and destroy existing vessels. Left untreated these changes can lead to blindness.
Because diabetes may impede your body's natural ability to fight germs frequent infections and/or wounds which are slow to heal are also a possible sign of diabetes. Bladder and vaginal infections can be especially common in women. Another body area where excessive sugar may cause a problem is your mouth. You may have reoccurring gum infections, frequent mouth sores or you may notice pus pockets on your gums. You may also notice that your teeth are loosening as the bones that hold your teeth in place can also become weakened by undetected infection.
Diabetes is a serious medical condition affecting men, women and children but with early detection and diagnosis combined with participation in ongoing treatment the prognosis can be a for a full, happy, productive and active life.
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