High blood sugar can creep up on you without any visible signs and symptoms. In fact, many people do not know they have high blood sugar until they have been dishonest with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that causes a person’s blood sugar levels to become too high. Additionally, this chronic illness affects how your body turns food into energy. Fortunately, if diagnosed and treated early, the risk of severe complications is reduced. Even though the onset of type 2 diabetes can be gradual, and symptoms can be mild during the early stages, it is important to know which signs and symptoms to look out for. Keep reading to see what the 5 warning signs of diabetes are.
Early Signs & Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes To Look Out For
Increased Thirst
Excessive thirst is one of the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes. The question is why does this happen? Well, to put it simply, your kidneys are forced to work overtime to filter and absorb the excess glucose. Meaning, when your kidneys can’t keep up, the excess glucose is passed into your urine, taking along fluids from your tissues. This then makes you dehydrated and usually leaves you feeling thirsty all the time.
Feeling Tired
Type 2 diabetes can impact a person’s energy levels and cause them to feel very tired or fatigued. But how exactly does this happen? Firstly, your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. However, your cells need insulin to take in glucose. So if your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or your cells resist the insulin that your body makes the glucose cannot make its way to them. This is essentially what makes you feel so tired.
Blurry Vision
An excess of sugar within the blood can damage the small blood vessels in the eyes. This is primarily what causes blurry vision. When this happens, the blurry vision can occur in one or both eyes or it may come and go with time. Additionally, the degree of blurriness can differ from person to person. In some cases that are more severe, one can even lose their vision permanatly.
Excessive Hunger
People who suffer from type 2 diabetes don’t often get all the energy they need from the food they eat. This is because the cells are not able to access glucose for energy. All in all, the body’s muscles and organs will be low on enegry which we need as fuel. As a result, people tend to feel a lot more hungry than usual, regardless of how much they have just eaten. Depending on the person, some experience weight loss or weight gain too.
Frequent Urination
On average, we all urinate between 4 to 7 times in 24 hours, however, people with diabetes tend to go to the bathroom a lot more. Why? Normally, when blood sugar levels are high, the kidneys try to remove the excess sugar by filtering it out of the blood. This can lead to a person needing to urinate more frequently, particularly at night. Another reason can be linked to excessive thirst, as we previously mentioned. Because, when you drink more, you’ll also pee more.