What Are The First Signs Of Diabetes

You Feel Hungry All The Time

Hormone imbalance & the mental distress caused by hyper- or hypoglycemia can also lead to severe hunger pangs.

You might experience sudden urges to snack on your favorite junk foods, typically at night, or when youre stressed out. Besides, when your body burns excess fat, youll naturally feel hungry more often.

If you dont eat nutritious foods to regulate blood sugar, theres a chance of increased weight and obesity. It further raises the risk of diabetic health complications.

In short, diabetes is directly linked to your diet. The healthier you eat, the easier it is to manage the sugar levels. 

If you notice any significant changes in your eating habits, it might be one of the early signs of diabetes that need your attention.

Darker Area Of Skin That Feels Like Velvet

A dark patch of velvety skin on the back of your neck, armpit, groin, or elsewhere could mean that you have too much insulin in your blood. This is often a sign of prediabetes.The medical name for this skin condition is acanthosis nigricans.

Acanthosis Nigricans

Often causing darker skin in the creases of the neck, AN may be the first sign that someone has diabetes.

Take action

• Get tested for diabetes

Other Warning Signs Of Type 2

You may not notice sudden symptoms of type 2 diabetes, but the warning signs listed above may alert you to an underlying condition. You may be diagnosed with diabetes because you go to the doctor for:

• persistent infections or a slow-healing wound
• complications that are associated with prolonged high blood sugar levels, such as numbness or tingling in your feet
• heart problems

You may never experience obvious warning signs at all. Diabetes can develop over the course of many years and the warning signs may be subtle.

Youve Dark Skin Patches

Dark velvety skin patches in certain body parts are symptoms of prediabetes a condition that indicates early onset of diabetes. Prediabetics are often at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on.

In some women, symptoms of too high blood sugar can develop diabetic dermopathy. This condition causes circular, scaly, red, black, or brown patches on feet. They are easily visible and usually at the front of the feet.

If you notice any visible dark spots on the neck, legs, groin, underarms, or elsewhere, it may be one of the early signs of diabetes.

Living With Diabetes Without Knowing It

But we know awareness isnt limited to just people already diagnosed. It is estimated that a staggering 20% of people reported as clinically diagnosed with diabetes had no prior knowledge of their diagnosis. That means there are millions of people walking around with dangerously elevated blood sugar levels and diabetes complications that are undiagnosed and receiving no medical treatment! Thus, we wanted to stretch our reach outside the diabetes community and into the general populace to ask one simple question:

Do you know the early symptoms of diabetes?

Help us spread awareness and education on the early symptoms of diabetes! If you have a family history of diabetes, you should ask your doctor for pre-screening and lab work to check for early diabetes signs. 

Annual lab work, or a quick bi-annual finger stick, can offer you and your doctor a solid baseline to monitor for any premature rise in blood glucose levels. 

If you or your child struggle to maintain a healthy weight, ask your doctor and/or your childs pediatrician for pre-screening and lab work to look out for early signs of diabetes. By working hand in hand to achieve optimum health, you and your medical team can be proactive partners in warding off any symptoms of diabetes before they begin to damage peripheral systems.

The mySugr website does not provide medical or legal advice. mySugr blog articles are not scientific articles, but intended for informational purposes only.

Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes symptoms often take several years to develop. Some people dont notice any symptoms at all. Type 2 diabetes usually starts when youre an adult, though more and more children and teens are developing it. Because symptoms are hard to spot, its important to know the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Make sure to visit your doctor if you have any of them.

Signs And Symptoms Of Diabetes

The signs and symptoms of diabetes are disregarded by many because of the chronic progression of the disease. People do not consider this as a serious problem because unlike many other diseases the consequences of hyperglycaemia are not manifested immediately. People are not aware that damage can start several years before symptoms become noticeable. This is unfortunate because recognition of early symptoms can help to get the disease under control immediately and to prevent vascular complications.

Feeling Thirsty And Needing To Pee All The Time

Excessive thirst is one of the first signs of diabetes. High levels of glucose in your blood forces your kidneys into overdrive, drawing more water from your tissues in an attempt to remove the excess glucose. When your kidneys can’t keep up, the excess glucose is excreted into your urine, dragging along fluids from your tissues, which makes you dehydrated. This will usually leave you feeling thirsty. As you drink more fluids to quench your thirst, you’ll urinate even more so the need to pee all the time is another sign of diabetes.

Yellow Reddish Or Brown Patches On Your Skin

Necrobiosis Lipoidica

This skin condition often begins as small raised solid bumps that look like pimples. As it progresses, these bumps turn into patches of swollen and hard skin. The patches can be yellow, reddish, or brown.

• The surrounding skin has a shiny porcelain-like appearance
• You can see blood vessels
• The skin is itchy and painful
• The skin disease goes through cycles where it is active, inactive, and then active again

necrobiosis lipodica.

Take action

• Get tested for diabetes, if you have not been diagnosed.
• Work with your doctor to better control your diabetes.
• See a dermatologist about your skin. Necorbiosis lipodica is harmless, but it can lead to complications.

Unusual Fatigue And Feeling Very Weak

Unmanaged diabetes will leave you feeling lousy, tired and lazy.

It can even be described as fatigue or extreme lethargy, where you are feeling too weak to do your regular everyday activities.

Why does this happen?: With sugar remaining in the blood rather than entering the cells for energy, you literally have less energy. The body is also expending additional energy to compensate for its irregular sugar levels. Kidneys in overdrive, coupled with regular sugar crashes and poor sleep starts to take its toll.

Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors

You may be at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes if you:

• Are overweight or obese
• Were previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes, depression, or polycystic ovary syndrome
• You gave birth to a baby that weighed nine or more pounds.

 If you are Black, Hispanic, Native American, Latino, or Asian, you are at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. The risk factors for prediabetes are the same as the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. 

Signs Of Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes type 1 is quite different to its counterpart, the type 2 diabetes. The major symptoms of both are same but there are certain signs which differs the type 1 from type 2.

The major symptoms of type 1 diabetes are:

• High levels of urine
• Unusual fatigue throughout the day
• Unusual and unexplained loss of weight
• Loss of muscle fat

• Confusion or coma
• Lack of interest in day to day activities for young children

Ketoacidosis affects 1 out of 4 patients suffering from diabetes type 1. One should monitor the 4Ts regularly to prevent the onset of Ketoacidosis. Type 1 diabetes generally sets in quickly within a span of few days.

It can affect kids also and one should monitor the signs regularly in small kids especially if diabetes runs in the families and seek professional help before its too late and ketoacidosis or other life threatening complications set in.

If Type 1 Diabetes is left untreated in adults, it could lead to a condition called the LADA Latent Autoimmune diabetes of adulthood. LADA develops slowly and sometimes this condition is often misdiagnosed as type 2 Diabetes.

As the sugar in the blood fluctuates in diabetes, low blood sugar also occurs. People take medications to increase the levels of insulin in the body. Too many medications, eating less or skipping meals can lead to low blood sugar.

Listed below are signs of low blood sugar:

• Weakness

Early Signs And Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which your body doesnât make enough of a hormone called insulin or doesnât use insulin the way it should. Insulin helps carry glucose to your cells. So when thereâs a problem with the insulin, glucose builds up in your blood. Youâve probably heard this called high blood sugar.

About 90% of people who have diabetes have type 2. The other two main ones are type 1, in which your body stops making insulin, and gestational, which happens in pregnant women.

You can usually control type 2 diabetes with lifestyle changes. Some people also need medication.

You might not know that you have type 2 diabetes until it affects your health. About 1 in 4 people with the condition donât know that they have it.

Symptoms can come on slowly. They may include:

How Can You Lower You Blood Sugar Levels Quickly

My first recommendation is to visit a doctor if you notice the first warning symptoms of diabetes. Youll need immediate medication to improve insulin functioning. 

Next, your doctor might advise you to change your lifestyle. Managing symptoms by altering your lifestyle is the easiest way to regulate sugar & reverse diabetes in the long run. 

Here are some tips to manage early signs of too high blood sugar:

• Tip 1:

Start eating healthy. Cut down on high carb foods as they might increase your weight. Be sensible with red meat intake. Also avoid sugary stuff such as carbonated drinks, sweetened cereals, and dried foods.

• Tip 2:

Exercise daily. This will help you stay fit, avoid weight gain, & naturally regulate blood sugar levels.

• Tip 3:

Avoid binge-drinking. Alcohol can be a fatal enemy for diabetics if you dont practice caution.

• Tip 4:

Monitor your blood glucose often. Make it a habit to check your blood sugar levels daily. Type 2 diabetics should check their sugar at least once a day.

• Tip 5:

Take your medicine on time. Failing to take insulin on time can spike your glucose to dangerous levels and you might end up in the ER.

• Tip 6:

Quit smoking. Nicotine messes with the effect of insulin and makes it difficult to manage diabetic symptoms.

If youve experienced any such symptoms, what was your experience like? Also, did you notice any other unique early signs of diabetes or prediabetes before your diagnosis? Share with me in the comments below.

References:

Unexpected And Unintentional Weight Loss

Rapid and unintentional weight loss is one of the more obvious signs of diabetes. This could be anywhere from 5-10 kg  in a matter of weeks or months.

This symptom is much more typical of those with type 1 diabetes, where sugar metabolism can shutdown very quickly.

Why does this happen?: Without new energy coming into the cells, the body is tricked into thinking you are in starvation. In order to provide energy, the body responds by breaking down protein in the muscle, which leads to muscle deterioration and the unexpected weight loss.

Extreme Thirst Or Hunger

Feeling hungrier and/or thirstier than usual, despite eating and drinking more, can be a sign of diabetes. When the cells in your body cannot remove the glucose from your blood and use it properly, it lacks the energy it needs to function properly. It then sends signals for more energyleading to increased hunger.  

At the same time, when blood glucose levels are too high, the body draws water from tissues, such as muscles, and puts it into the bloodstream to try to dilute the excess glucose. This leaves your tissues dehydrated, causing a thirst response.

If your sudden increased thirst or hunger cannot be explained by other means, visit your healthcare provider to check for diabetes or another medical condition.

How Is Diabetes Diagnosed

Diabetes is diagnosed with the following tests: 

• A1C test 

• receptor agonists such as
• Bile acid sequestrants such as
• SGLT2 inhibitors such as dapagliflozin , canagliflozin , empagliflozin , and ertugliflozin
• GLP-1 receptor agonists such as lixisenatide , , semaglutide , albiglutide , dulaglutide , and
• Amylin analog such as acetate
• Combination medicines, which may be made up of more than one medication in the above classes

People with gestational diabetes may need insulin or metformin 

If lifestyle changes and medications are insufficient, other treatments for diabetes may include: 

• Weight-loss surgery for certain patients who are obese
• Artificial pancreas 

Diabetes Spot The Warning Indicators

Excessive ranges of glucose in your bloodstream could cause a lot of signs, in keeping with medical web site NiceRx, together with these early signs of diabetes:

Tiredness because of your cells absorbing much less glucose, you possibly can really feel sluggish.Starvation once more as your cells have much less glucose, they ship you starvation indicators.Frequent urination as your kidneys attempt to filter the surplus glucose, its possible youll be urinating extra typically.Thirst and dehydration because of the frequent urinating, its possible youll be unusually thirsty and have patches of dry pores and skin.Blurred imaginative and prescient one other consequence of dehydration is blurred imaginative and prescient.Yeast infections the surplus glucose could make each women and men extra inclined to yeast infections.Cuts that dont heal Gradual-healing cuts and sores might be an early signal of diabetes, because the nerve injury slows how your physique heals.

What Are The Long Term Health Effects Of Diabetes

If you dont recognize the first warning signs of high blood sugar, the glucose levels will remain unmanaged for a long time. Consequently, you might develop serious health risks.

Studies show that untreated diabetes even contributes to early death in women!

For example, lets talk about diabetes in pregnancy or gestational diabetes. Its quite harmful for your babys wellbeing.

Gestational diabetes leads to premature delivery, or , C-section, and stillbirth. In some cases, pregnancy diabetes may cause birth deformities. 

Thus, knowing the dangerous symptoms of gestational diabetes can prevent these pregnancy complications.

Additionally, long-term diabetes leads to the following health risks in women:

• Coronary heart disease
• Breast cancer
• Skin problems

If you notice any of the above symptoms of high blood sugar, the first thing you should do is visit a healthcare professional.

Theyll probably ask you to go for a diabetes diagnosis blood test to determine which type of diabetes you have OR how dangerous it is.

Lets get to the warning signs of diabetes so you can start proper treatment right away.

Read More: How to Prepare for Your Diabetes Diagnosis Test

What Are The Early Symptoms For Type 2 Diabetes

In ype 2 diabetes, the progression from fully healthy to diagnosed diabetes can be a slow progression over a period of years. The body continues to make insulin, but the cells slowly lose the ability to access it, and the glucose levels begin to climb and the body starts producing more insulin to compensate for high blood sugar levels. The change might not be immediately noticeable since there is zero painassociated with this process. But the warning signs of long-term elevated blood glucose begin to manifest all throughout the body.

Your eyes struggle as the glucose wears on the blood vessels. With early intervention this can be treated, but left untreated for too long, a condition called diabetic retinopathy can occur and cause permanent long-term damage to the blood vessels of the eyes.

Hands and feet can experience numbness and tingling fromperipheral neuropathy, a painful problem affecting nerves in your hands and feet . The excess glucose creates a breeding ground for advantageous fungal infections systemically on your skin, nails, and genitals. This yeasty beasty can cause even the smallest wound to take forever to healif it heals at all. 

Early intervention and correction for elevated blood glucose can promote proper circulation and healing. If left unchecked too long, wounds can become infected and cause more problems down the road.

Five First Signs Of Diabetes You Should Know Now

If youre worried you might be experiencing diabetes, your best option is to look for problems like these: 

 

Skin Problems: If you are experiencing diabetes, you may notice any number of skin problems. Your skin might become dry and itchy. You may notice your lips are parched. You might have wounds that dont heal or ongoing skin infections. You may even notice white patches on the skin inside your mouth or sores around your mouth and on your lips. Discoloration in the armpits is quite common as well. 

Vision Problems: Blurred vision is a fairly common early symptom of diabetes. With this condition, the glucose levels in your blood begin to build, and the fluid around your eyes becomes more viscous. As a result, it can be tough to see. 

Mood Problems: If youre very tired or incredibly irritable, you may have a fairly common early symptom of diabetes. 

Eating Issues: If you find yourself incredibly hungry or incredibly thirsty or you have difficulty eating or swallowing, you may be suffering from the early symptoms of diabetes. 

Other Health Issues: Other health issues you might experience include increased urination, constant exhaustion, and even dry mouth. 

 

The Importance Of Watching For Diabetes Symptoms:

As the CDC points out, theres no cure yet for diabetes, so its important to make the healthy moves that can help stave it off, like keeping your weight in check, getting your move on daily, and eating healthy food. Says Dr. Kalyani, Its important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, especially if you have any risk factors. By following up with your health care provider regularly, the complications of diabetes may be preventable.

Lisa Bain

You’re Losing Weightbut Aren’t Trying To

Unexplained weight loss can happen for lots of reasons, and diabetes is one of them. Goundan explains that insulin helps your body move sugar from your blood to your cells, so when you have an insulin resistance, you dont get enough energy into your cells despite all that sugar flowing through your body. Because youre unable to get enough energy from sugar, your body burns your own fat and muscle for energy,” Kellis says. “Weight loss can be pretty significant, sometimes 10 to 20 pounds.”

Generally, doctors recommend visiting the doc if you unintentionally lose between 5 to 10 percent of your body weight over the course of six months.

/65 Early Warning Signs Of Diabetes

Our body has some amount of sugar naturally and it also needs sugar to provide us with energy. But when sugar levels cross a certain level, it results in hyperglycemia, commonly called high blood sugar.

High blood sugar can damage your organs and lead to many other health issues. The main reason behind diabetes is unknown and one must consult their doctor to know the best way to manage diabetes.

Eating smaller and frequent meals, exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important to manage diabetes. Because high blood sugar when left untreated for long can have a serious health risk to your life. There are several symptoms that can occur early on diabetes. Pay attention to these early warning signs of diabetes before it’s too late.

More Than One Condition

There are two different types of diabetes, and each comes with its own warning signs and symptoms. Type 1 diabetes is more common in children, while Type 2 is more prevalent in adults. With Type 1 diabetes, the symptoms occur incredibly quickly when the child is fairly young, and they can be quite severe when they initially present themselves. Often Type 1 diabetics present with a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, which is life-threatening and requires immediate treatment. It might be triggered by an infection, sudden environmental changes, or even certain medications. Usually, the patient experiences frequent urination, excessive thirst, overwhelming confusion, stomach pain, weakness, and even shortness of breath. Typically doctors do a urine test that shows a high level of ketones, and patients are treated with both fluids and insulin. 

 

With Type 2 diabetes, the symptoms dont usually begin until you reach your 40s, and they tend to come on gradually. Patients may notice gradual weight gain, which tends to come with increased thirst, frequent urination, and constant hunger. Additionally, patients tend to notice ongoing yeast infections, pain, numbness, and even tingling on their extremities like their feet. 

 

Diabetes Symptoms In Adults And Children

Diabetes is the term given to blood sugar levels that are too high for a sustained period of time.

The signs or symptoms of high blood sugar are typically the same for both children and adults.

Patients with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a sudden, short period of time. The condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting.

Type 2 diabetes on the other hand progresses quite slowly. Symptoms tend to come on gradually, which is why they are often overlooked. Some dont experience any early symptoms at all.

The following early signs of diabetes are the most common:

Early Signs Of Diabetes You Shouldnt Ignore

February 21, 2019

More than 30 million Americans have diabetes. Its also estimated that 90-95 percent of those individuals have type 2 diabetes. Thats a staggering statistic. Diabetes often develops over time, and it can be detected with a simple blood test. Its essential for everyone to recognize the early signs of diabetes because it is a life-threatening chronic disease. However, it can be managed, especially if it is detected in the early stages.

These are the 8 early signs of type 2 diabetes. If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, visit a diabetes specialist to confirm whether you need treatment.

Open Sores And Wounds

Having high blood sugar for a long time can lead to poor circulation and nerve damage. You may have developed these if youve had uncontrolled diabetes for a long time.

Poor circulation and nerve damage can make it hard for your body to heal wounds. This is especially true on the feet. These open wounds are called diabetic ulcers.

Diabetes and feet

• Get immediate medical care for an open sore or wound.
• Work with your doctor to better control your diabetes.

What Are The Early Signs Of Diabetes In Women

The first thing you should know is that the early signs of diabetes type 1 generally appear during childhood or teens. In other words, youre born with this autoimmune condition.

On the other hand, diabetes type 2 symptoms could develop over the years as you age. Since its caused by lifestyle changes, they are a lot more difficult to diagnose.

Lets go over the first warning symptoms of high blood sugar that you need to look out for:

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms

Most people with type 1 diabetes who can’t produce insulin on their own are diagnosed after being hospitalized with severe symptoms, Redmond says. In addition to frequent urination and excessive thirst or hunger, other symptoms may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss, even if you’re eating more 

“Because the body doesn’t make any insulin, there are no carbs or sugar that the body can use for energy,” Redmond says. “So it starts to burn fat for energy, hence, part of the weight loss.” 

People with untreated type 1 diabetes can also experience diabetes ketoacidosis . As the body burns fat in an attempt to fuel itself, it releases, which are chemicals in your blood that can be harmful if they’re released in excess. 

Without treatment, DKA can lead to serious health complications like a coma. If you experience vomiting, confusion, or difficulty breathing, you should seek medical attention immediately.