The Warning Signs of Type 2 Diabetes

If you are worried about Type 2 Diabetes, there are some warning signs you should be aware of if you think you have the disease.  Some of the early warning signs include being tired all the time and always feeling like you need a drink of water.  You may also feel like you have to go to the bathroom constantly.  These are all symptoms of improper blood sugar levels.

You may be especially at risk if you’re over the age of 40 and have a family history of diabetes.  If you’re out of shape and have a few extra pounds, this can also increase your risk.  It is very important to have an understanding of your family history as well as your own personal health.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States with as many as 30 million people affected by the disease.  Out of that 30 million, nearly 30% don’t even know they have the disease.  Paying attention to the warning signs and symptoms is critical.  The sooner you know that you have diabetes, the sooner you can get treatment and possibly reverse it.

Warning Signs & Symptoms

• Excessive Thirst – if you are experiencing the feeling of being thirsty all the time, no matter how much water your drink, this is a warning sign of diabetes. Called polydipsia, excessive thirst occurs because your body is using the water in your tissue to get rid of the high sugar and stabilize your blood sugar levels.
• Increased Urination / Urges – you may also experience increased urges to use the bathroom or urinate. This symptom goes hand in hand with excessive thirst in an effort to stabilize your blood sugar levels by diluting the blood stream and excreting.  As your blood tries to dilute the amount of glucose, it will call for more and more liquid and pique your thirst.  Once you drink large amounts of liquid, you’ll feel the urge to get rid of it through urination.
• Increased Fatigue – you need sugar to keep your body going and when you have diabetes, that imbalance can cause increased fatigue. When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin and the result is that you are tired all the time.  Insulin is important to fuel your body and when there is a lack of it, you feel exhausted.  If you have this symptom paired with extreme thirst or urges to urinate, consult your doctor immediately.
• Hunger – if you are experiencing hunger in the extreme, you are probably feeling polyphasic. This symptom can also be a warning sign of Type 2 diabetes.  Usually excessive hunger is also experienced with fatigue.  This is because you’re experiencing starvation on the cellular level since cells resist insulin and cannot make use of the glucose in your blood.  Your body feels like it is starving because it cannot access the nutrients that it needs.
• Tingling in Your Extremities – we all know the feeling when one of our hands or feet “falls asleep”, that tingling like we’re being pricked by needles. This is also a common symptom of Type 2 diabetes.  It is known in medical circles as neuropathy and it is something that is degenerative.  Neuropathy will get worse over time and develop over time as lack of stable blood sugar cause damage to the nerves.
• Wounds That Don’t Heal – if you have bruises or wounds that never seem to heal, you may be suffering from Type 2 diabetes. The reason that injuries take longer to go away when you have this illness is because of the thickness of your blood.  You have too much sugar in your blood and your circulation doesn’t flow like it should.  This means that it is hard for your body to repair itself.  You’ll see cuts taking a long time to heal because you have poor circulation.
• Blurred Vision / Trouble Seeing Clearly – another common symptom of diabetes is blurred vision. This is also the result of high blood sugar levels and is a result of fluid extracted from your cells.  This fluid is also pulled from your eyes in an effort to reduce the level of sugar in your blood.  Your lens actually becomes dry and cannot focus making your vision blurry.

Lesser known symptoms

In addition to the common warning signs listed above, there are some other less common symptoms that people will experience when having trouble with their blood sugar levels.  These symptoms are:

• Skin issues, dry and itching skin, flaking skin
• Sexual dysfunction
• Abnormal weight loss or fluctuations in weight
• Frequent illnesses and infections
• Dry mouth
• Moodiness