According to the National Institutes of Health’s website, NIH.gov, 1/3 of adults still don’t know that they have diabetes. This is why it’s important to recognize the indications of diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disease, and if left untreated can lead to dangerous complications and even death.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body can no longer use or make insulin, the hormone that allows the cells to take in glucose (sugar) for energy. One of the first indications of diabetes is extreme hunger because even though you eat the body is not able to process the sugar in your bloodstream, and therefore continue calling out for sustenance. The body is also not able to turn the sugar into fat and deteriorates the muscle to use as energy as well. So, in spite of eating more the person loses weight, another diabetes indication.
Aside from being extremely hungry, a person also becomes excessively thirsty. The reason for this is that high blood sugar causes the body from being able to re-absorb water, which causes the body to produce more urine and the body to become more dehydrated. So, not only do you drink more often, but you stay dehydrated too and urinate more frequent. These are more of first indications of diabetes.
Other Indications of Diabetes
One of the most serious indications of diabetes is a numbness of tingling in the feet. Not only is this a sign of poor circulation, but it may be sign of nerve damage as well. Peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage which begins in the outer limbs, is one of the major complications of diabetes. It is also one of the major causes of amputation throughout the world. Without feeling in your foot you are not only more prone to fall or get injured, but if wounds go unnoticed often the lead to infection and eventually amputation.
Blurred vision is another common indication of diabetes. High sugar levels in the blood cause the lens of the eye to swell. This is only temporary, but a number of other eye complications can derive from diabetes being left untreated. So, if you notice any of these indications of diabetes it is best to go get tested for the disease. Getting control of your blood sugar levels early on will help you to avoid complications that can arise from the disease.
