Not every case of type 2 diabetes symptoms presents the obvious—unquenchable thirst, nonstop urinary and eating urge, and numbness in your hands or feet. Look out for these other subtle signs that something may be amiss with your blood sugar:
1. You've noticed unpleasant skin changes
Dark, velvety patches in the folds of skin, usually on the back of the neck, elbows, or knuckles, are often an early warning sign of too-high blood sugar levels and diabetes symptoms. Genetics or hormonal conditions can also cause this skin disorder, called acanthosis nigricans, High insulin levels promote the growth of skin cells, and melanin, a pigment in these cells, makes the patches dark." The test may show that the patient already has diabetes, but, more likely, it will detect higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, suggesting the patient is on the way to developing the disease. Losing weight—as little as 3-5 kg—will likely lower blood sugar levels and help the condition clear up.
2. Your vision improved out of nowhere
Sorry, suddenly being able to ditch your glasses probably isn't good news: You'll often read that blurry vision is a diabetes symptom when, in fact, vision can change for better or worse. In some patients vision may improve when their blood sugars were initially elevated, and then worsens as it progresses and they start treating their diabetes. They may need their glasses again. What gives? Diabetes causes fluid levels in the body to shift around, including inside the eyes, which leads to the erratic eyesight.
3. You have unrelenting itchiness
Think it's silly to mention scratchy skin to your care provider? Not so. Diabetes impairs blood circulation, which can lead to dryness and itchiness. Some of newly diagnosed diabetes patients mention having itchy extremities—the hands, lower legs, and feet—so it's something care providers should consider in conjunction with other diabetes symptoms. Tell the client to mention it at the next appointment date if regular use of a moisturizer doesn't fix the itch.
4. Your hearing isn't what it used to be
If you find yourself cranking the volume on the TV or you can't get through a conversation without asking people to repeat themselves, tell your care provider you need a blood sugar test. One study by the National Institute of Health (US), suggested hearing loss could be an early diabetes symptom: People with higher than normal blood sugar who didn't yet meet the criteria for diabetes were 30% more likely to have hearing damage than those with healthy glucose levels. The researchers believe that diabetes damages the blood vessels and nerves of the inner ear, leading to sub-par hearing.
5. You snore like a chainsaw
Many patients with type 2 diabetics have sleep-disordered breathing. So if you're diagnosed with the condition—characterized by loud snoring and daytime sleepiness—it's a good bet to get your blood sugar levels checked, too. A recent Canadian study showed that 23% of patients diagnosed with mild or moderate obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder, went on to develop diabetes within 5½ years. The connection isn't completely understood, but there's one important nexus between the two: Patients with sleep-disordered breathing tend to release stress hormones during sleep, which can raise blood sugar levels.
No comments:
Post a Comment