Developing diabetes will likely be a surprise: nobody plans to have diabetes. As such, it can be easy to dismiss the early signs of diabetes as something else.
A person might go through life with no prior warning signs for diabetes – especially for type 1 diabetes, which can come seemingly out of nowhere. Meanwhile, type 2 diabetes can develop slowly and subtly, so that the symptoms are not immediately apparent.
If a person does develop diabetes, it’s always better to treat it as soon as possible. To spread awareness, let’s keep an eye out for these following early signs of diabetes.
In this article (click to scroll down!):
Why Diabetes Develops
Before we get into the symptoms, it’s useful to have a brief understanding of why a person might get diabetes in the first place. This is especially because there is a great deal of misinformation and myths about type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes out there.
So, let’s get the facts straight.
You can also get your calculations straight with Hedia Diabetes Assistant. Get it for free from the App Store or Google Play!
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. As with many other autoimmune diseases, there’s no obvious reason why type 1 diabetes occurs – although genetics probably play a role.
Type 2 diabetes is where the body eventually becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels.
This is often because of a lifestyle that wears out the body’s ability to respond to insulin (such as having an excessively carb-rich diet or doing little exercise). However, genetics also play a part in this.
In both cases, the body doesn’t get enough insulin. Insulin normally lowers blood sugar. Without that insulin, the outcome of both types of diabetes is the same: blood sugar that’s too high (named hyperglycemia). Hyperglycemia can be dangerous if not treated.
The Tell-Tale Early Signs of Diabetetes
Because both types of diabetes have the same outcomes, they will also have similar symptoms.
When we talk about the early signs of diabetes, we’re actually talking about the symptoms of high blood sugar/hyperglycemia. Accordingly, any kind of diabetes can result in the classic symptoms of hyperglycemia:
- Fatigue and hunger
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
- Blurred vision
Why do these symptoms happen?
The body would normally use insulin to make glucose enter the cells to give the body energy. By moving the glucose to the cells from the blood, the body is lowering blood glucose/blood sugar.
Yet, when insulin is not being used, the body can’t get the energy from glucose. This leads to low energy and hunger.
The body also has to deal with the excess glucose in the system. The glucose is eventually flushed out by the kidneys into the urine, which is why increased urination occurs.
At the same time, flushing out too much fluid makes the body dehydrated, leading to increased thirst. This change in fluids also causes the eye lenses to swell, hence the blurred vision.
Should I take the symptoms seriously?
Yes.
These four symptoms can be easily mistaken for something less serious – or even simply ignored. However, they should be taken seriously because if they are caused by diabetes, then treatment is needed immediately.
More Developed Signs of Diabetes
If hyperglycemia is left untreated, further symptoms can develop:
- Fruity, sweet-smelling breath
- Dry mouth
- Itchy skin
Why do these symptoms happen?
Dehydration is still a factor, leading to a dry mouth and skin (which can become itchy as a result).
Meanwhile, a process called ketoacidosis will begin. This is essentially a build-up of blood acids. A fruity or sweet-smelling breath (acetone breath) is a byproduct of ketoacidosis.
Early Signs of Diabetes, type 1
While type 1 and type 2 diabetes will have many shared symptoms, the symptoms listed below are likelier to occur with type 1 than type 2.
This is because type 1 diabetes can develop fairly rapidly (especially if the pancreas has completely stopped producing insulin). As a result, it’s possible that other more developed symptoms will pose as early signs of diabetes type 1. These can include:
- Unexpected weight loss
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Coma (in the worst case)
These are some of the symptoms that Hedia’s founder, Peter, experienced before his diagnosis.
Why do these symptoms happen?
Since the body can’t get that glucose for energy, the body starts burning fat for energy. This burned fat leads to sudden weight loss (this fat-burning process is also what leads to ketoacidosis).
The ketoacidosis is what can lead to nausea and abdominal pain. The blood acids interfere with the blood’s chemistry, making a person feel sick. These toxic blood acids are also the cause of a potential coma.
Early Signs of Diabetes, type 2
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that develops over time, where the body is often able to still use some insulin without treatment. As such, type 2 diabetes can even develop without symptoms to begin with: a hidden high blood glucose.
This means that some people with type 2 diabetes might only notice symptoms that usually occur for long-term complications. Some of these complications and symptoms are:
- Cuts that take a longer time to heal
- Fungal or bacterial infections, leading to rashes or blisters
- Other skin conditions, such as diabetic dermopathy. (The American Diabetes Association has a full list of these potential skin conditions.)
- Tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
- High blood pressure
Why do these symptoms happen?
If blood sugar remains high over a longer period of time, it can damage the blood vessels and the blood’s normal contribution to the immune system.
When hyperglycemia affects the immune system, the body is slower at responding to repairing the body and fighting off foreign bodies – hence the cuts or infections that take longer to heal.
Additionally, the high concentration of glucose essentially feeds sugar to certain bacteria, helping them to grow.
Damage to the blood vessels means poor blood circulation to the skin, resulting in skin conditions. The nerves are also supplied by the blood vessels. Accordingly, damaged blood vessels can mean damaged nerves, which causes tingling or numbness (the beginnings of diabetic neuropathy).
This blood vessel damage can also lead to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular complications.
When Should I go to the Doctor?
It’s important to note that any of the above mentioned symptoms can be early signs of diabetes, regardless of whether it’s type 1 or type 2 – it’s just that some symptoms might be more common with a certain type.
So, any of these symptoms might suggest diabetes. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and visit a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms – and especially if you have more than one of the symptoms.
Many healthcare services recommend this, such as the NHS, which recommends visiting a doctor as soon as possible if you have any of the main symptoms of diabetes.
Getting back on Track
Ok, that was a lot of information about somewhat unpleasant symptoms. But having this foreknowledge means hopefully preventing these complications.
And the sooner the symptoms are noticed, the sooner a person can get diagnosed, and the sooner they can get back to normal life after treatment.
Hedia wants to make sure that this return to normal life is as effortless as possible by taking the burden of insulin and carb calculations off your plate. So, if you have just been diagnosed with diabetes, try out Hedia from Google Play or the App Store.
Want to know more about high blood sugar and how it can be treated? Have a read of How to Reduce Blood Sugar Immediately!
Related post: Diabetes and Headaches
