Today we will talk about 10 Signs of diabetes. What is normal blood sugar and how diabetes symptoms can be controlled.
Most Americans are familiar with the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, such as increased thirst and frequent urination. But doctors say that there are few known symptoms of the disease, and they sometimes appear before the usual symptoms.
Getting acquainted (gain, obtain) with these hidden symptoms can help you to catch the disease early. That is important because diabetes is early, easy to treat, and manage, says Mandeep Bajaj, M.D., professor at Baylor College of Medicine and head of endocrinology at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston.
About 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surprisingly, 1 in 5 does not know he has it, says the CDC.
"All of these undiagnosed people with diabetes are at greater risk of complications," said Bajaj, such as chronic kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke, as well as emotional, vision, and hearing problems. Controlling your blood sugar by changing your lifestyle, medications, or insulin injections, however, can slow down or prevent those problems.
A primary care physician can diagnose diabetes with a simple blood test. National guidelines state that patients over the age of 45 are tested for type 2 diabetes at least every three years, but experts say that you should ask your doctor to diagnose you immediately if you have any signs or symptoms.
In addition to excessive thirst and frequent urination, here are some indications of diabetes or prediabetes:
1. Chronic yeast infections
High blood sugar from sugar disrupts the immune system, making it harder for your body to fight infections.
Vaginal yeast infections are more common in women with untreated diabetes because the extra sugar in their blood encourages the yeast to grow, says Mark Guido, M.D., an endocrinologist with Novant Health Forsyth Endocrine Consultants in Winston Salem, N.C.
Other types of recurrent infections - such as skin, bladder, and urinary tract infections - can indicate diabetes.
Bajaj says that primary care doctors do not always think about the link between chronic illness and diabetes. So if you have a recurring illness, you recommend that you ask to be tested.
2. Blurred vision
If it appears that you need a regular review of your prescription from an eyeglass doctor, you may want to get tested for diabetes. If your blood sugar level changes rapidly, it can cause your eye lens to become dull or swollen, creating blurred vision.
"People think they need to change their glasses, but it could be a sign of diabetes," Bajaj said.
Left untreated, diabetes damages the blood vessels behind the eye and can cause cataracts, glaucoma, and blindness.
3. Sexual dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction - when a man can no longer ejaculate or maintain - is common in men with diabetes.
A 2017 meta-analysis found that about 66 percent of men with type 2 diabetes had functional problems, and men with diabetes were about 3.5 times more likely to deal with erectile dysfunction compared to men without the disease.
Some studies indicate that men and women with undiagnosed diabetes report lower sex drive. Researchers believe that inflammation caused by diabetes may affect the part of the brain that controls sexual desire, according to the American Diabetes Association. Low testosterone levels can also play a role.
4. Nausea or constipation
High blood sugar can slow down the digestive process, making you feel nauseous, bloated, or sick in your stomach, Bajaj said.
"You think you have a stomach ache, go to the doctor, get labs, and it turns out your glucose is very high," Bajaj said.
Common stomach ailments usually do not last more than two or three days. If you have nausea, constipation, or prolonged vomiting, there is something else that may be causing the problem, says Bajaj, and the diabetic screen should be part of a doctor's prescription.
5. A cool drinking square
If you experience cuts or scratches that seem to last forever, diabetes may be the cause. The extra sugar in your blood when you have diabetes is known to reduce wound healing, leaving you at risk of infection, says Guido.
For that reason, surgeons often require patients to be tested for diabetes before surgery, and that could lead to a diagnosis of diabetes, Guido said.
"It is not uncommon for an elderly person who needs knee surgery to finally be diagnosed with pre-operative diabetes," he says.6. Emotions change
If you find that you are very upset, or your family is complaining about your mood swings, that could be another symptom of diabetes. Diabetes also causes fatigue, which can increase mood.
Bajaj recalls the case of a patient who was diagnosed with diabetes after being transferred to staff due to frustration and impatience with his colleagues.
"High glucose affects the brain," Bajaj said. “A person with diabetes can't control his emotions. Thankfully, once glucose is treated and controlled, these symptoms improve. "
7. Unexplained weight loss
Losing weight is usually a good thing. However, if you lose a lot of weight without making any changes to your diet or fitness, diabetes can be the cause.
When you have diabetes, the sugar your body needs to get fuel leaves your body in your urine, so your body begins to burn fat and muscle for energy, Guido explains. That can result in rapid and dramatic weight loss.
"I have patients who come in and say, 'I lost 10 pounds in the last four to six weeks and I don't eat,'" Bajaj said.
8. Black patches of skin
Diabetes can cause the skin on the neck, armpits, or buttocks to darken and turn black, says Guido. He says: “It looks as if your neck is covered with ashes, but it does not wash.
Called acanthosis nigricans, those black spots on your skin are a sign of insulin resistance, says Guido, and maybe the first sign of diabetes.
9. Multiple facial hair or acne
Some women with insulin resistance have thick, rough hair on their face because insulin can stimulate cells to produce male hormones that cause hair growth, Guido said. The same hormones can cause acne.
The good news is, Guido says, those symptoms usually resolve when glucose levels are controlled.
10. Skin tags
Another sign that you may have diabetes first is the development of skin tags, the fleshy growth commonly found in the neck, eyelids, armpits, and groin.
Although skin tags are generally harmless, many studies have found an increased risk of diabetes in those with skin tags. For example, a March 2020 study published in the journal BMC Research Notes found that 59 percent of those with skin tags had diabetes, compared with only 13 percent of those without skin tags.
Researchers are still not clear about how diabetes causes skin tags, but they believe high insulin levels are a factor. Guido explains: “Insulin resistance creates the conditions for growth and change
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