Symptoms of diabetes mellitus: 8 warning signs
it from becoming life-threatening. By reading today's article, you will learn about the most important symptoms of diabetes.
Detecting diabetes early can help control the disease and prevent it from becoming life-threatening. By reading today's article, you will learn about the most important symptoms of diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease related to the body's ability to metabolize glucose. Glucose is the basic ingredient that gives you the energy you need to function. When your body is unable to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood, the blood sugar level rises.
If this disorder is not treated properly, high blood sugar levels can damage tissues and lead to the development of serious complications. So read today's article about the early symptoms of diabetes.
Types of diabetes
The pancreas produces insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or does not use it properly. There are more than one type of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes usually appears suddenly early in life. Most often it is associated with an autoimmune deficit, which prevents the pancreas from producing enough insulin. This type of diabetes is incurable.
- Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed after the age of 40 and is more common than type 1 diabetes. It is caused either by a lack of insulin or by the fact that the body is unable to use insulin properly. Patients can deal with this problem by making appropriate lifestyle changes related to diet and exercise.
- Gestational diabetes is diagnosed during pregnancy when the expectant mother is unable to produce enough insulin or her body is unable to use it properly. Treatment usually involves making changes to the diet.
A recent study found that 1 in 11 people worldwide suffer from diabetes. That is why the ability to recognize its first symptoms plays such a significant role.
Symptoms of diabetes mellitus: 8 warning signs
- Frequent urination
The first symptom of diabetes is frequent urination. It occurs because of an excess of glucose in the blood, which interferes with the kidneys' ability to concentrate urine. Therefore, in the early stages of development, diabetes increases the feeling of thirst, which translates into drinking more water. As a consequence, you have to go to the toilet more often.
- Thirst
As mentioned earlier, the first symptom of diabetes is excessive thirst. If you are thirsty, make sure you don't drink too many sweetened drinks. Their sugar content makes them worse for your health.
- Lose weight or gain weight
Weight fluctuations are another symptom of diabetes. When your blood sugar drops due to frequent urination, you also lose calories.
In addition, diabetes completely disrupts the system your body uses to let you know you're full. This is why some diabetics continue to eat when they are full. This in turn leads to another common symptom of diabetes: sudden weight gain.
- Emotional changes
High blood sugar can affect your mood. The more spikes in insulin your body experiences, the more intense your mood swings will be.
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- Tingling feeling in the legs and feet
Some of the least pleasant symptoms of diabetes are chills, inflammation, tingling and numbness in the fingers, toes and entire feet. These symptoms happen when your blood sugar levels become abnormal enough to cause neuropathy. If you don't detect the disease in a timely manner, the neuropathy can become irreversible.
- Frequent or recurring infections
Diabetes suppresses the immune system. As a result, people with diabetes are more prone to developing infections such as ringworm, pneumonia, inflammation of the urinary tract, and skin rashes.
- Swelling of the gums
People with diabetes often find their gums red, swollen and irritated. If these conditions are not treated, the inflammation will worsen, negatively affecting the health of your gums. It can even affect the health of your teeth.
- Blurred vision
This is one of the most disturbing symptoms of diabetes. Your vision is largely related to your blood glucose levels. When there is a lot of glucose in your blood, you may experience blurred vision and photosensitivity.
Fortunately, knowing these symptoms of diabetes can help you find it before it's too late. So if you think you may have diabetes, pay attention to your body. If you develop any of these symptoms, be sure to see a doctor as soon as possible.
