It has been estimated that millions of Americans have undiagnosed diabetes. They could just be going about their normal lives when a health crisis causes them to visit the hospital where they find out they have highly elevated blood sugar levels. Here are some other signs and symptoms of diabetes.
- Increased urination: Your body tries to remove the excess blood sugar through the urine. A marked increase in the number of times you urinate during the day and night is one of the important signs of diabetes.
- Increased thirst: It is easy to overlook increased thirst in the hot summer months, but frequent urination can cause you to become dehydrated and lead to increased thirst.
- Increased hunger: As the sugar derived from the food you eat is not transported into the body cells but remains in the blood, you are likely to be hungry no matter how much you eat.
- Increased fatigue: You will experience lack of energy, tiredness, and weakness as there is insufficient energy to meet the body’s metabolic needs.
- Blurry vision: The presence of excess sugar in the blood can damage the tiny blood vessels and capillaries in the eye leading to blurry vision.
- Slow-healing wounds: Relatively minor cuts can take several weeks or months to heal due to impairment of blood circulation caused by the diabetes.
- Increased susceptibility to infections: Excess sugar in the blood and urine can be used as food by infectious organisms like yeast. The infections tend to occur in moist areas such as the mouth, armpits, or genital region.
Identifying the early signs of diabetes, getting appropriate treatment, and making the right lifestyle changes can greatly improve quality of life and reduce risk of complications such as heart disease, stroke, loss of vision, or kidney disease. Visit the North Central Surgical Center for an evaluation of your symptoms and a personalized treatment recommendation.
At North Central Surgical Center, our mission is to treat each and every one of our patients, and their families, as if they were our own family member. Each patient, each family, each and every time.
