Diabetes can be a very difficult disease to pin down because of uncertain and inconclusive symptoms. Just like any other disease though, it is important to take a close look at your diabetes symptom before it’s too late.
Lack of Symptoms
A lot of people actually go through life not knowing that they already have diabetes. This may be because such basic diabetes symptoms as thirstiness and fatigue may seem too normal and harmless or are mistaken as symptoms of other ailments. There are also some people who do not show any signs at all. These people eventually learn of their conditions when they begin to experience serious complications such as blurred vision or chest pains.
It is believed that at least 1/3 of diabetic individuals do not know that they have the condition. It is important however to pay close attention to each and every diabetes symptom you experience since early detection can both arrest the development of diabetes and prevent severe complications like heart ailments, blindness and kidney failure.
Looking at Other Factors
If you do not have a diabetes symptom or are unsure if you have one, then the first step would be to take a look at your relatives and your physical condition instead. It is generally believed that individuals with parents or near relatives who suffer from diabetes run a higher risk of developing the condition too. This means that you should think of yourself as a likely diabetes candidate even if you do not have a diabetes symptom.
You should check your weight too. Being overweight or obese may be a diabetes sign in itself in the absence of a more conclusive diabetes symptom. The extra fat deposits in overweight people may impede the work of insulin as it attempts to regulate the glucose levels in the blood.
Symptoms
Not every diabetes symptom is a conclusive sign of diabetes. You may however want to check some of the symptoms that you have just in case you do have the disease.
- Fatigue is a common diabetes symptom that may be experienced in the early stages if the disease. Diabetic people feel more tired than usual because the cells in their bodies are not getting enough glucose which is the main source of energy. Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes and the destruction of pancreatic cells in type 1 diabetes result in the inability of insulin to properly regulate glucose.
- The desire to drink a lot of fluids may also be a diabetes symptom. Diabetic people in the early stage of the disease have overactive and overworked kidneys that will constantly attempt to flush out excess glucose and waste. A person may then constantly feel the need to replenish lost liquids
- Chest pains may not just be a diabetes symptom but also a sign of a heart ailment that has developed because of uncontrolled diabetes. People who do not recognize a diabetes symptom early may end up finding about it along with a developing heart condition. Large amounts of glucose in the blood may cause the blood to clog blood vessels which may lead to heart problems.
- Vaginal candidiasis that manifests itself through itchiness and white flaky discharges may not always be a sign of diabetes. You should be alarmed though if the condition recurs in you frequently. You may have it often because of an immune system that has been impaired by diabetes.
