Testing for diabetes requires a simple blood test administered by your doctor. If you have been experiencing any of the following symptoms, it is crucial that you have a conversation with your doctor.
Diabetes is a manageable condition that can be treated with lifestyle changes and medication in order to prevent or manage many complications. Give yourself the chance to thrive while living with diabetes by knowing the signs:
- Frequent urination and/or an increased feeling of thirst can be signs of diabetes. If you are noticing that you are more thirsty than normal, that could be a sign that your body has excessive blood sugar levels and is attempting to rid itself of those sugars through urine.
- Feelings of increased or insatiable hunger can mean that your body is having trouble drawing glucose into your blood cells, something your body naturally does during the digestive process.
- It can be difficult to determine the root cause of feeling exhausted or drowsy, but these could both be signs of diabetes as well. Make sure to monitor these feelings and report them to your doctor.
- Blurred vision may also occur when changing fluid levels cause swelling in your lenses, which prevents your eyes from focusing correctly.
- Sudden numbness or pain in your legs, feet, or other extremities is a reason to talk to your doctor. Feelings of numbness, tingling, or pain in your feet could be caused by nerve damage due to high blood sugar levels for an extended period of time. Untreated diabetes may be the cause of these feelings of pain or numbness, and should be addressed immediately.
- Sudden or rapid weight gain or loss is something that could signal possible diabetes.
- Yeast infections can become more prevalent as your blood sugar increases for both men and women.
If you have experienced any of these symptoms, ask your doctor for a diabetes test. Early detection is the key to managing the condition and avoiding life-altering complications.