What are the symptoms of diabetes?
If anyone is wondering if they have diabetes, in addition to blood tests, we can observe the early symptoms of diabetes as follows:
- Frequent urination
Due to the continuous high blood sugar level, it is found that diabetic patients will have sugar mixed with their urine, causing them to urinate more frequently. This can be easily observed initially by the increased frequency of urination at night.
- Thirsty
Because the body loses water through frequent urination, the body becomes dehydrated. Diabetic patients often have a dry throat and are thirsty.
- Weight loss
When the body is dehydrated due to frequent urination and lack of insulin, the body cannot use blood sugar for energy. Therefore, it needs to use protein and fat stored in the tissues. This makes the body feel weak and lose weight.
- Often hungry, eat a lot
Because the body lacks energy, diabetic patients feel hungry often and eat more than usual.
- Blurred vision, numbness in hands and feet
When the body has excessive sugar levels, it affects the retina, causing blurred vision and can be severe enough to lead to blindness. In addition, excessive sugar levels also affect the peripheral nervous system, causing patients to feel numbness in the tips of their fingers and toes.
- It is easy to get a scar and difficult to heal.
When the body has a high level of ยูฟ่าเบท accumulated sugar, it causes blood vessels to function abnormally. The body repairs various parts abnormally as well. As a result, when diabetic patients have wounds, they heal slowly. In addition, wounds easily develop because the feet are numb, making them unable to feel the injury. Therefore, treatment is often delaye and may even become infecte if the wound is not properly cared for.
- Itchy skin
When urinating frequently causes the body to become dehydrated, the skin becomes dry, causing the patient to experience itchy skin.
Who is at risk for diabetes?
Diabetes is cause by eating habits and genetics. The risk groups for diabetes that need to watch out for include:
- People who have a parent or sibling with diabetes
- People who are overweight or obese (BMI for Asians >= 25 kg/m2)
- Those who have had gestational diabetes
- People with high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid levels, or cardiovascular disease
- People who like to eat sweet foods or drinks
- People who do not exercise much
- Smokers
- People who drink alcohol
Possible complications when you have diabetes
One of the concerns for diabetic patients is the complications that come with diabetes. Conditions that we may encounter when we have diabetes include:
- Hyperglycemic emergencies include diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS). These conditions can cause by missing a dose or insulin injection. Eating foods high in sugar, becoming dehydrated, or having an illness that raises your blood sugar levels.
- Hypoglycemia is a condition in which blood sugar levels drop below normal, or less than 70 mg/dL. It often occurs when a person takes an overdose of a medication or forgets to eat after taking it.
- Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a common eye complication in people with diabetes. It is cause by prolonged high blood sugar levels that damage the small blood vessels in the retina, causing new blood vessels to form. This results in poor vision and other complications such as retinal detachment, macular swelling, and can lead to permanent vision loss if left untreated.
- Nerve degeneration, numbness in the fingertips and toes. Caused by nerve damage due to prolonged and high blood sugar levels.
- Diabetic Nephropathy is cause by damage to kidney cells and pressure on the capillaries in the kidneys. Which prevents the kidneys from filtering waste and removing excess fluid from the body effectively.
- Cardiovascular Disease (CD) is the damage to blood vessels throughout the body and the heart, which can lead to high blood pressure and heart attack. Symptoms can include chest pain.