6 Common Signs of Diabetes
Currently, diabetes is becoming increasingly common and tends to affect younger people. Therefore, not everyone is aware that they have the disease since the signs of diabetes are often common everyday phenomena. So, what are the signs of diabetes? Let’s follow the article below with Gluzabet!
Contents
What is diabetes?
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a very common chronic metabolic disease. When a person has diabetes, their body loses the ability to use or produce insulin properly, leading to unconsumed sugar accumulating in the blood over time, causing dangerous complications.
This is a dangerous disease if not detected in time. Severe diabetes can lead to serious complications such as eye, kidney, nerve, and cardiovascular diseases. Identifying the cause of diabetes is a necessary step to choosing the most effective treatment and care method.
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes (lack of insulin due to the pancreas no longer producing insulin) and type 2 diabetes (the body resists insulin), as well as gestational diabetes. So, what are the signs of diabetes?
Signs of diabetes
The early symptoms of diabetes are very difficult to recognize because they are not clear, and these signs are easily confused with symptoms of other diseases. However, if we pay attention to ourselves and know how to manage our health well, detecting the disease can be entirely possible.
Patients with diabetes can suffer from many conditions such as kidney failure and cardiovascular effects. Therefore, early detection of diabetes through its signs is crucial.
Frequently feeling thirsty and drinking a lot of water
The first symptom of diabetes is feeling thirstier than usual. However, you need to distinguish between feeling thirsty and drinking a lot of water due to dehydration.
Frequent urination and increased urine volume
If you urinate many times a day with more urine than usual, pay attention to whether this situation happens frequently. This is one of the signs of diabetes that is often overlooked.
Declining health
The next sign of diabetes is declining health. During the diabetic stage, glucose remains in the blood, but due to a lack of insulin, it is not converted into energy to nourish the body. In this case, glucose is excreted in the urine, leading to a lack of nutrition, excessive fatigue, and physical and mental weakness.
Rapid weight loss
The glucose level in the blood of a diabetic patient continuously rises and cannot be used to convert energy. Stored fat becomes an alternative source of energy for the body. This leads to sudden weight loss for no apparent reason, even though the patient eats and drinks a lot.
Frequent appearance of dark spots
Diabetes means skin health is compromised, and many dark spots appear on the skin, especially in areas with wrinkles or folds.
Declining vision
For diabetics, vision is no longer as clear as before, with blurred images. Diabetics need to have their eyes examined and their blood sugar levels checked to see if diabetes is affecting the blood vessels in the retina.
Above are the 6 common signs of diabetes. If you find yourself having more than two of these signs, you should see a doctor soon to control the condition and prevent it from worsening.
Some notes for diabetics
After learning about the signs of diabetes, both diabetics and those showing signs need to note the following:
- Do not skip meals to reduce calories: Do not skip meals to reduce calorie intake because skipping meals often leads to snacking and overeating at the next meal. Therefore, you must maintain the frequency and timing of your meals.
- Eat more high-fiber foods: Diabetics should eat more high-fiber foods, as fiber helps us feel full longer and reduces cravings for snacks.
- Limit alcohol consumption: Drinking a lot of alcohol can reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin, thereby increasing blood sugar levels.
- Avoid greasy foods: Diabetics should avoid greasy foods as they can raise blood sugar levels.
- Exercise regularly: There is no need for intense workouts, but regular movement is necessary. Avoid sitting in one place for too long.
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