A few symptoms of diabetes are manifested in the early stage (or prediabetes phase). Hence, about one-third of people who have diabetes remain unaware of the high blood sugar level. Whenearly signs of diabetes are present, they are often confused with symptoms of other health problems. Let's look into some of the warming signs of diabetes.
A common sign exhibited in the early stages of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is frequent urination (polyuria). Since the glucose in the blood increases above the normal level, filtration by kidneys is incomplete. This also hampers water absorption by the kidneys, resulting in frequent urination.
Due to increase in the frequency of urination, the body losses excessive fluid. Ultimately, dehydration occurs, causing increased thirst (polydipsia). If one is drinking more fluid than the usual amount, and the number of urination is increased, either type 1 or type 2 diabetes is suspected.
Another warning sign of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is increased appetite. One of the functions of insulin is stimulating hunger. Since, the body starts secreting more insulin to lower glucose level in the bloodstream, it is obvious to experience increased hunger (polyphagia).
A patient who is in the prediabetes stage suffers from unusual weight loss, even without trying. This is caused due to excessive loss of sugar in the urine. The body starts using muscular proteins and fats as its source of energy, resulting in weight loss. This symptom is typical of type 1 diabetes.
In a person with prediabetes, excess sugar is found in the blood and not in the cells. As the body cells are deprived of the main energy source - glucose, the patient feels increased fatigueat most of the time. Physical ability is lowered and the patient gets tired very easily.
Vision problem is reported in patients of type 2 diabetes. Increase in the blood sugar levels leads to change in the shape of the eye lenses. Over time, this results in poor focusing power andblurred vision in patients.
A type 2 diabetic patient suffers from frequent yeast and skin infections. Unchecked high sugar brings about damage to the nerves, causing neuropathy symptoms (numbness in the extremities). In addition, cuts and wounds take longer period to heal.
It has been found that the immune system of a diabetic patient is low, as compared to a healthy person. This may be due to presence of elevated glucose in the blood, which in turn hampers the proper functioning of white blood cells (leucocytes). Thus, overall defense mechanism of the body gets disturbed and the person experiences frequent yeast infection, skin infection, accompanied with slow healing of bruises. As far as early signs of gestational diabetes are concerned, it seldom produces notable signs. The expecting mother rarely feels polyuria and polydipsia.
In case, a person experiences any of the above mentioned warning signs, he/she should go for blood glucose test right away. Seeking advice from a health specialist for proper diagnosis is necessary. Doing so will help in delaying the onset or even control this chronic ailment. The doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and diet modification to keep the blood sugar level under control.
