What Are the Early Signs of Diabetes?

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organization WHO, around 422 million people worldwide suffer from this metabolic disease. Many do not recognize the disease at first. Diabetes usually develops slowly and often does not cause any acute symptoms at first.

Various diseases are hidden behind the term “diabetes mellitus”. What they have in common is that there is a metabolic disorder that results in increased blood sugar levels. [What Foods Can You Eat When You Have Diabetes?]

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

In type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, the body’s cells become increasingly insensitive to the hormone insulin. This is supposed to promote the absorption of blood sugar (glucose) from the bloodstream into the cells, where the sugar is used to generate energy. As a result of the increasing insensitivity of the cells, the blood sugar level rises. The main risk factors for this form of diabetes are genetic predisposition, obesity and lack of exercise. Mostly older people are affected, but increasingly also young people. You can find detailed information about this form in our guide to type 2 diabetes.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

The second most common form is type 1 diabetes. It is an autoimmune disease. Your own immune system destroys the islet cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin. There is therefore a lack of insulin. In order to treat the increased blood sugar level, those affected usually have to inject insulin for the rest of their lives. Type 1 diabetes often occurs in adolescence or young adulthood. You can find out more about causes and treatment in the guide to type 1 diabetes. [Top Natural Remedies For Type 2 Diabetes Explained!]

Possible symptoms that indicate diabetes

· Frequent urination: In diabetes, the body tries to excrete the increased amount of sugar in the blood through the urine. Those affected may therefore have an increased urge to urinate (polyuria). This is often the first sign of diabetes.

· Strong feelings of thirst: An increased need to urinate can result in a lack of water. Those affected then feel an increased need to drink.

· Dry or itchy skin: Dry skin can be the first sign of diabetes. It also occurs when the body excretes more sugar in the urine and loses fluid in the process.

· Fatigue: Diabetes can make people feel weak.

· Weight Loss: In some cases, there is weight loss in diabetes. On the one hand, this is due to the loss of fluid as a result of the increased urge to urinate. Another possible cause, which occurs primarily in type 1 diabetes: If the cells can no longer adequately cover their energy requirements due to the deterioration in blood sugar utilization, the body falls back on fat deposits — and those affected lose weight.

· Wounds do not heal well: With diabetes, the immune system is often weakened. This and poorer blood circulation in the skin contribute to the fact that wounds heal more slowly.

· Increased susceptibility to infections: Diabetics are more susceptible to various infectious diseases, such as urinary tract infections, athlete’s foot or other skin infections. Periodontitis is also more common in diabetes.

· Breath smells of acetone: Only in type 1 diabetes can an acetone odor become noticeable in the breath, reminding of overripe fruit. If insufficient sugar gets into the cells, the body breaks down fat cells. Among other things, acetone is produced in the process. It is a sign of a severe insulin deficiency, which can lead to ketoacidosis and in the worst case to a diabetic coma.

Type 2 diabetes often causes no symptoms

Apart from the acetone odor in the air, these symptoms can in principle occur in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, they are often more subtle in type 2 diabetes, as this develops over a longer period of time and the metabolism therefore only slowly goes off course.

Because it often does not cause any symptoms, type 2 diabetes is only discovered incidentally in many cases. For example, if a person is hospitalized for another illness. It is estimated that only about 30 to 50 percent of untreated type 2 diabetics develop the typical signs. Often there is already diabetic consequential damage before when the disease is detected. [10 Home Remedies to Detox Your Body]

Type 1 diabetes: signs appear earlier

Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, develops much faster than type 2 diabetes, often within a few weeks. For this reason, it almost always shows up with the typical symptoms. Above all, increased thirst, the urge to urinate, tiredness and an increased infection rate are often present. Symptoms occur when most of the islet cells in the pancreas are destroyed.

Often it is thirst and increased urination that drive those affected to the doctor. On this occasion, the doctor then diagnoses diabetes.

Multiple ways to diagnose diabetes

The doctor diagnoses “diabetes” if one of the following limit values ​​is exceeded and a repeated measurement confirms the result:

The blood sugar level reaches 200 mg / dL (11.1 mmol / L) or higher at any point in time

A fasting blood sugar of 126 mg / dL (7.0 mmol / L) or higher

A blood sugar level of 200 mg / dL (11.1 mmol / L) or higher two hours after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

Further tests provide information about the type of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed with the help of typical autoantibodies.

Diabetes diagnosis as an opportunity

A diagnosis of diabetes always means a change in the life of those affected. Type 1 diabetics will have to inject insulin from now on, type 2 diabetics will at least have to change to a new lifestyle with more exercise and a healthy diet. In any case, the diagnosis also represents an opportunity. With the appropriate approach, many patients can improve their metabolism, often significantly alleviate symptoms and thus gain a better quality of life.