Don’t ignore the early signs of diabetes – Know and Act

Millions of people have diabetes in this world. 1 in 2 adults remain undiagnosed, and most of them have Type-2 diabetes ^[1]. If you hear someone talking about diabetes, you may get frightened by the idea that you may have it, or may get anxious to know if you are at the risk of having it and start looking for symptoms.

Source: intolife.in

Even my father did not have any symptoms of diabetes. We found it during one of his routine check-ups. In most cases, the early warning signs of diabetes go unnoticed, especially for Type-2 diabetes ^[2]. In this post, I am going to discuss some of the common symptoms of diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the body does not use insulin properly. Insulin carries blood sugar (glucose) into the cells, where it is needed, and does not stay in the blood. But this function is impaired when the person has diabetes, leading to increased blood sugar levels. Diabetes can have serious medical complications if neglected.

Early Signs of Diabetes

I have shared some of the common early signs of diabetes. An early screening of diabetes can reduce the risk of severe medical complications.

• Increased Hunger: When insulin does not process the glucose in the blood, it shows up as high blood glucose levels. The glucose from the blood cannot enter the required cells. So, the body cannot convert the food into energy, and it increases hunger.
• Fatigue: Since the cells are not getting the glucose from the blood, your energy levels start falling.
• Frequent Urination: When blood sugar levels start increasing, the kidneys try to remove the excess sugar by filtering more fluids. This may increase the frequency of urination.
• Excessive Thirst: Frequent urination may lead to dehydration and can make one feel thirstier.
• Blurred Vision: One’s eyes may swell up due to changing fluid levels, which can lead to blurry vision. Due to the changing structure, their eyes may not be able to focus.
• Slow healing time for cuts and wounds: High blood sugar levels may damage blood vessels. It can have an impact on blood circulation and may increase the healing time for cuts and wounds. Even a small cut may take up to a few weeks to heal.
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet: Excessive blood sugar leads to a sensation of tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.

Why Early Treatment?

Type-2 diabetes is more common than Type-1 diabetes. If one can recognise these early warning signs, then they can start their treatment sooner. You may also check your diabetes risk score by visiting IntoLife website ^[3]. It predicts the probability of diabetes based on various parameters. The platform also contains useful content that will help you to clear a lot of misconceptions about diabetes.

Without treatment, diabetes can lead to various medical complications such as damage to the kidneys, heart, nervous system, and eyes. One can control diabetes and reduce the risk of severe complications by proper treatment, diabetic-friendly diet, and making lifestyle changes.

Diet, exercise, regular monitoring and adherence to medication are important factors in diabetes management. Empower yourself to live better with diabetes and take the pledge today to be #MoreThanMyDiabetes.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger. This is a part of the public awareness initiative supported by Sanofi India. Sanofi India bears no responsibility for the content of the blog. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health-related information.

[1] https://www.who.int/health-topics/diabetes#tab=tab_1

[2] https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/understanding-diabetes-symptoms

[3]  https://www.intolife.in/