Diabetes is one of the deadliest diseases in America – and if you don’t have it, you think it might not happen to you. However, according to doctors, there is no harm in knowing the signs that you may have diabetes. “It is extremely important to know your risk of diabetes and to get early screening for diabetes if you are concerned about your risk. A simple blood test can show you your risk.” says Dr. Deena Adimoolam, a Yale-trained endocrinologist specializing in diabetes, food as medicine, and metabolic health. Read on for the 7 Most Worrying Symptoms – And To Ensure Your Health And The Health Of Others, Don’t Miss Out Symptoms Everyone Needs To Know About During This Pandemic.
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If you have diabetes, you may have polydipsia – increased thirst – or polyuria – frequent, excessive urination. These are very common and it is all up to your kidneys. Your kidneys are the organs that filter and absorb glucose. When you have diabetes, you have excess glucose. “High glucose levels act like a diuretic that leads to excessive urination. This excessive urination can then lead to extreme thirst and dehydration if you cannot keep up with your fluid intake,” says Dr. Adimoolam.
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It’s natural to feel hungry after a long workout or a skipped breakfast. But diabetes can feel hungry for seemingly no reason – and find that eating doesn’t relieve the pain. There is actually a medical term for feeling hungry whenever you have diabetes – this is called polyphagia. “Diabetes is defined by a problem with a hormone called insulin,” says Dr. Adimoolam. “Insulin is important so that glucose can enter cells where it can be used for energy. In type 1 diabetes, there is a lack of insulin production. In type 2 diabetes, the body is resistant to the effects of insulin (insulin resistance) Since this glucose cannot get into cells to be used for energy, your body feels that you need more food for energy and are looking for food. But eating more doesn’t help – what helps is taking medication, used to bring glucose back into cells for energy. “
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If you suspected blurred vision in diabetes was due to blood sugar problems, this is a good job: you were paying attention. The lens of your eye swells when blood sugar levels are high and body water is drawn into the lens. You may also have damage to the blood vessels in the retina. They can become weak and thin, and release a fatty protein called exudate. That makes seeing difficult.
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If your blood sugar is uncontrolled, you may have hyperglycemia, which can lead to nausea, fruity breath, shortness of breath, and dry mouth, or high blood sugar and feeling deprived of energy. “Patients with diabetes cannot use the body’s high levels of glucose for energy – so they feel exhausted.” says Dr. Adimoolam.
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A scratching or scraping is nothing for most people, but for diabetics it can lead to a serious problem that leads to infection. For example, diabetics have been known to develop foot ulcers – wounds on the feet that may never heal. Why? There is a direct link between blood sugar and healing. “In the primary closure of surgical wounds in high-risk patients, poor glycemic control is significantly associated with poorer outcomes,” said the final study. “Every effort should be made to ensure strict control in both the chronic and subacute perioperative phases.” “Chronic exposure to high levels of glucose results in blood vessel disease (what we call ‘vascular complications in diabetes’),” he says DR. Adimoolam. “”When blood vessels are damaged, blood flow to specific areas of the body is restricted, resulting in slow wound healing. “
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You may have numbness or tingling in your hands or feet from diabetes. This is due to diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that “can affect up to 50% of people with diabetes,” doctors say Mayo Clinic. You may also have pain or cramps. Or have proximal neuropathy (diabetic polyradiculopathy) – “This type of neuropathy – also known as diabetic amyotrophy – often affects nerves in the thighs, hips, buttocks, or legs. It can also affect the abdomen and chest,” the clinic says.
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Dark patches of skin – called acanthosis nigricans – can be a sign of diabetes or, less often, certain types of cancer. You usually see the velvety folds in the folds of the skin – mainly on the neck and armpits. What is causing it? Usually insulin resistance, which is why this is so common in diabetics. “Too much insulin stimulates an increase in the abnormal growth of these skin cells.” says Dr. Adimoolam.
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Look out for this symptom and the other symptoms mentioned here, and contact a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. “Some physical activity in everyday life can help lower blood sugar and possibly prevent type 2 diabetes,” he says DR. Adimoolam. “Daily activities can even help you lose weight and improve your heart health.” And to get through life in the healthiest way, don’t miss: This supplement can increase your risk of cancer, experts say.
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