In previous entries, I reviewed the basics of diabetes mellitus and how you can reduce your risk for this chronic disease. Now let's look at the symptoms that should prompt you to get checked for diabetes.
The two most significant early symptoms of this disease are directly due to the elevated blood sugar levels that accompany diabetes: polyuria (frequent urination) and polydipsia (frequent drinking). However, these two symptoms can also indicate health problems other than diabetes.
Urinating too much. If you are producing large quantities of urine every time you go, and you're going every 1-2 hours, high blood sugar is a definite possibility. On the other hand, if you're urinating frequently but only passing small amounts of urine at a time, other causes are more likely, such as:
- A urinary tract infection, especially if there's pain with urination.
- An enlarged prostate (men only).
- Prolapse of the bladder or uterus (women only).
Thirst. The increased thirst from diabetes is distinctive. It's perfectly normal to get thirsty after exercising, or to take a few swallows of water after getting up at night to urinate. But if you're getting up several times a night and drinking a full glass of water each time, it could be a warning sign of diabetes.
Changes in vision. Diabetes can affect vision in multiple different ways, but the first to occur is caused directly by the excess sugar in the bloodstream, which seeps into the vitreous gel filling the eyes. The vitreous gel normally acts like a prism that bends (refracts) the light that's passing through to the retina. Trying to see through this gel when it's saturated with sugar is just like looking through a glass of sugar water.
Usually, this increased sugar in your vitreous makes the eyes work harder to focus; sometimes, however, the sugar takes over the job of your glasses or contacts and improves your focus. So, if your vision has recently changed for no apparent reason, consider getting evaluated for diabetes, especially if it's a change for the better. Another warning sign of diabetes is if your vision gets alternately better and worse over a few days or weeks, potentially a reflection of changing blood-sugar levels.
Fatigue and unexpected weight loss. These symptoms are also common in people with diabetes. Initially, such fatigue and weight loss are due to dehydration and the resulting loss of water weight caused by polyuria. People with diabetes, however, also aren't able to get as much energy out of the food they consume as are other people. This is because all the sugar floating around in the blood, urine, and other bodily fluids isn't being converted into energy as efficiently as it was before the diabetes began.
Remember, though, that fatigue and weight loss are non-specific symptoms that could derive from many potential sources, and so they deserve careful evaluation to determine their underlying cause.
If you have one or more of the symptoms above - and especially if you have one or more risk factors for diabetes - I suggest you schedule a visit with your doctor or health care provider to discuss checking your blood sugar level. If it turns out that you have diabetes, then the sooner you get your blood sugar levels under control, the better will be your chances of avoiding serious complications like eye, kidney, and nerve disease.
