Don't Let Diabetes Sneak Up on You: Learn These 6 Early Signs

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States, affecting over 11% of the population. And nearly a quarter of those people don’t yet realize they have it.

When you have Type 1 diabetes, your immune system attacks healthy cells that produce insulin. When you have Type 2 diabetes, your body has difficulty controlling its glucose levels. You can also develop gestational diabetes, which coincides with pregnancy.

While diabetes affects people differently based on factors like the type, many of the early signs are fairly universal. 

Our expert team, including Jeffery Tun, MD and Anton Sabiev, MD, at the offices of Jeffery Tun, MD, in Midtown East, Forest Hills, and the Queens neighborhoods in New York City, diagnoses and treats diabetes to help you manage your condition and stave off complications. 

Here are six early diabetes symptoms to look out for:

1. Feeling exhausted or fatigued

After you eat, your body turns the simple sugar known as glucose — or blood sugar — into cells that help you feel energized. When your body can’t make enough insulin or put insulin to use properly because of diabetes, it can’t create or use glucose well. That gets in the way of your energy, often leading to exhaustion. 

2. Feeling hungrier than usual

Just as a car needs more fuel when the gas supply runs low, your body will crave food when your glucose supply dips. So as your body struggles with energy because of glucose issues, you may also find yourself reaching for more snacks or larger meals. 

3. Changes in your weight

If you end up eating more than usual or more than your body needs because of diabetes, you may end up gaining weight. Fatigue and exhaustion can also lead to weight increases, by making exercise less appealing or feasible.

When glucose doesn’t show up in your cells normally, your body may also perceive that it’s starving and start burning fat and muscle tissue. For that reason, unexplained weight loss can show up as a sign of diabetes as well, particularly if you have Type 1 diabetes. 

4. Frequent thirst and urination

When diabetes leads to high blood sugar levels, your body may not be able to reabsorb it like normal as it passes through your kidneys. This can lead your body to create more urine. And the more you pee, the more thirsty you’re likely to be because of reduced hydration. That may prompt you to drink more fluids, leading to even more urine flow. 

5. Dry, itchy skin 

As your body becomes dehydrated because of diabetes, your body tissues can be affected as well. You may notice that your skin feels dry and itchy, or that you need to apply lotion more often than usual. High blood sugar levels can also lead to skin dryness. 

6. Changes in your vision

Changes in your eyes and vision are also common when you have diabetes. As fluid levels dip in your body, you might notice that your eyes appear a bit swollen. Blood sugar issues can also affect that shape of your eyes, leading to difficulty focusing. You might squint more often or find that your glasses or contact lenses are no longer strong enough.

To learn more about diabetes or to get the care you need, call one of our offices or request an appointment through our website today.