Subtle Signs That You Might Be on the Verge of a Definitive Diabetes Diagnosis

Diabetes is hands down one of the most dreaded chronic diseases out there. Heck, we all shudder at the thought of spending the rest of our lives taking insulin shots, watching our diet, oh, and let’s not forget foregoing pastries!

What a bummer…

In fact, the stats say it all. Roughly 30 million Americans are diabetic, according to the data released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

What’s even more puzzling is that about 25 percent of individuals don’t even know that they are living with it!

That’s certainly a horror movie by our standards.

Oh, and did we mention that it gets worse?

Yep, the CDC further divulges that around 84 million Americans are pre-diabetic. What this means is that their sugar levels are off the charts, but not high enough for the individual to be termed a diabetic.

Yet 90 percent of them have no idea about their condition!

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Diabetes is one of the most feared chronic diseases around hence its advised to get a regular blood sugar test

Hold Up, so What Is Diabetes Again?

Most of us think that diabetes is one disease. On the contrary, there are actually three versions (if we can use the term ‘versions’) of diabetes. That is, gestational diabetes, type 1, and type 2. The most prevalent type of diabetes is type 2. In this case, our bodies are unable to utilize insulin effectively and thus, leads to unstable sugar levels.

Alternatively, the likes of type 1 diabetes are less common. Indeed, a mere 5 percent of diabetes cases are associated with type 1 diabetes. So it would be safe to refer to diabetes as an autoimmune disease whereby the body fails to make any insulin, hence blood sugar regulation becomes impossible.

Last but not least, gestational diabetes occurs primarily in women. It normally disappears after birth, but it can increase the chances of an individual developing type 2 diabetes much later in their life. Fortunately, all these forms of diabetes can be easily detected by a blood test. The test is geared to check whether or not our blood sugar is high.

That being said, an endocrinologist at Boston Medical, Mr. Poorani Goundan, notes that a majority of individuals walk around not knowing that they have pre-diabetes and diabetes.

With this in mind, here are some subtle signs that will inform us that it might just be time to get that test done.

Urinating All the Time

Yes, if this is what’s going on, then it would be wise to be on high alert. As a matter of fact, when excess sugar is coursing through our blood, our body tries to eliminate it by expelling a lot of urine.

Always Taking a Glass of Water

It only makes sense that with all that peeing, our bodies will be dehydrated. Plus to make it worse, most people who are unaware that they suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes opt to quench their thirst with soft drinks laden with sugar!

Which only serves to reiterate the classic saying, from the frying pan into the fire.

Bad Breath

So now that our bodies are dehydrated, it’s only natural that our mouths will be dry. This dryness then brings about bad breath mainly because we do not have enough fluid to wash away all the bacteria in our mouth and balance our pH.

Blurred Vision

All of a sudden, watching an episode of our favorite show becomes a tedious task. We can’t see a single thing!

So how does diabetes relate to vision?

When sugar levels surge, our eyes begin to secrete a fluid which forms in our eyes. This fluid buildup then blurs our vision, resulting in nearsightedness. As a response, many of us might opt to head to an optometrist and spend extra for glasses that we didn’t really need in the first place.

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Getting an early diagnosis might inspire you to change your life and work towards a healthier lifestyle

You Suffer from Neuropathy

Hmm, any weird sensations of numbness in the extremities (such as the feet and the hands)? Additionally, if we happen to experience pin like sensations in the extremities, then we might just be part of the 50 percent of pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals that suffer from neuropathy.

So why is neuropathy prevalent with diabetes? That’s because diabetes damages blood vessels over time by minimizing the flow of blood to the extremities such as the hands and feet.