Millions of people are living their lives without knowing that they have diabetes and that’s a risk that can lead to serious health problems such as nerve damage, vision problems, kidney disease, heart attack and stroke. Today there are more ways to treat and control diabetes than ever before, including diet and lifestyle changes. Before diabetes can be treated it must be recognized. The following signs and symptoms may be an indication that you have it.
- Frequent urination: An increase in the number of times a person has to urinate may be an indication of diabetes. Waking up at night to urinate, especially multiple times is quite common for those who are developing diabetes.
- Excessive thirst: A diabetic person is quite likely to feel thirsty much more often than usual, as the body signals it’s requirement to replace lost fluids.
- Weight loss: The inability of the body to absorb glucose tricks it into thinking that starvation is the problem, and the body will then begin to use protein from muscle tissue for fuel, resulting in weight loss.
- Increased appetite: When the body thinks it is starving due to its inability to absorb the glucose it normally uses for fuel, it can trigger excessive hunger in response. As blood sugar levels change, feelings of hunger may be the result.
- Frequent skin infections: Recurrent incidence of boils / carbuncles may be due to underlying diabetes. Diabetes may also cause a condition known as acanthosis nigricans, which is characterized by darkened areas of the skin, around the neck and armpits.
Delayed wound healing: Diabetes can slow the healing process significantly. Too much glucose in the blood stream can damage blood vessels and hamper their ability to provide adequate blood flow to injured areas, which is crucial for proper healing.