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Identifying Diabetic Symptoms

According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million people have diabetes. Twenty-four percent of diabetes cases are undiagnosed because people often ignore initial symptoms. Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and death if untreated. With proper treatment, however, diabetics can live a long and healthy life. Be on the look out for symptoms of diabetes and consult a physician if they arise.

  1. Frequent Urination

    • Mayoclinic.com explains that when your kidneys can't handle the excess sugar in your blood, they excrete it into the urine along with extra fluids from your tissue. This causes more frequent urination.

    Excessive Thirst

    • When your kidneys work overtime and you urinate more frequently, it causes dehydration. When your body begins to dehydrate, you become thirstier and want to drink more. This perpetuates the cycle, as the more you drink, the more you'll need to urinate.

    Frequent Hunger

    • Diabetics cannot process glucose into energy adequately, according to endocrineweb.com. When your brain detects that you need more energy, it sends the signal that you're hungry. Eating may raise blood sugar levels more, exacerbating the problem.

    Fatigue

    • When diabetes interferes with your body's ability to convert glucose into energy, the result is a lack of energy. Diabetics are often fatigued when their blood sugar levels fluctuate.

    Blurred Vision

    • High blood sugar levels can affect the eye's ability to focus, as it can cause tissue to be pulled from the eye lenses, according to medicalnewstoday.com. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

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