6. Fatigue
Another common sign of diabetes is constant fatigue. When you have diabetes, you feel tired and sleepy all the time for the same reason you always feel hungry: your cells don’t have enough glucose to use for energy. Dehydration caused by frequent urination also contributes to feeling exhausted.
Fatigue can be a symptom of many other conditions, some not even medical (carb-heavy diet, too much caffeine, aging). But when combined with other symptoms on this list, it could be a sign of diabetes.
7. Blurred vision
When blurred vision isn’t a sign of a more serious eye problem, it could be an early sign of diabetes. This occurs due to shifting fluids, which causes the lens of the eye to swell and change shape. This affects your ability to focus, and things start to look blurry or fuzzy.
These changes in the eye are usually reversible and vision should return to normal as blood sugar levels stabilize with treatment. However, if diabetes is left untreated, these changes can progress and lead to blindness.
8. Unexplained weight loss
Unexplained weight loss means losing a lot of weight without the help of diet or exercise. Since the body cannot use glucose as an energy source when you have diabetes, it begins to burn fat and muscle for energy, causing weight loss. Dehydration also contributes to sudden weight loss as the body uses all available fluids to produce urine.
Unexpected weight loss is a common early sign of type 1 diabetes, but it can also affect people with type 2 diabetes.
9. Slow healing
Cuts and wounds that heal very slowly can often be a symptom of diabetes. High blood sugar not only increases inflammation in cuts and wounds, but it also leads to poor blood circulation, making it harder for blood to reach and repair damaged areas of skin. This mainly concerns the feet, and it is not uncommon for patients with diabetes to develop foot sores that can lead to more serious problems.
If you notice that cuts and wounds are taking longer to heal than before, be sure to mention it to your doctor.
As with many other symptoms on this list, keeping your blood sugar levels balanced will help a lot and circulation should improve.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that can lead to many serious complications if left untreated. The earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to manage, and the longer that person’s life will be. If you notice any of these symptoms, especially several of them, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.
