Signs of Diabetes
Many signs of diabetes go unnoticed because by themselves they don’t seem to be a serious problem. It usually takes several of these symptoms linked together to be identified as the first warning signs of diabetes. Because of this, many times patients find that by the time they receive a diagnosis, diabetes has progressed to a more acute level.
It can be helpful to look at the warning signs of diabetes as they present themselves physically to different parts the body or as they affect the functioning of different bodily systems. For instance, there are several ways diabetes can cause skin conditions--you might not take any one of them too seriously but if you have an abscess, a skin rash or skin infections on a regular basis--be on the alert that these can be the first signs of diabetes. Diabetes can cause a plethora of other skin abruptions as well, such as dry, itchy and flaky skin, skin ulcers or boils and skin that heals slower than normal. Something as common as athlete’s foot, if it is persistent and reoccurring, can be one of the earliest signs of diabetes. For women, early indications might include a susceptibility to urinary tract infections, and candida or thrush, which are fungal infections.
When it comes to the neurological system--you can feel all types of things that on the surface might not seem important. Still, any one of these signs that appears repeatedly or is present in combination with the others can be warning signs of diabetes. These can be felt as sensations, such as pricks of pins and needles in the feet and hands or fingers, tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, or these signs can develop in the arms, shoulders or back.
You might feel these nerve-related changes especially after sitting in one spot for a long time, walking, or even if your hands get numb when driving a car. They also can be present while lying in bed--take notice if you when you wake up, your legs, arms, hands, or even shoulders are numb from lying or sleeping on them.
Believe it or not, some first indications of sexual problems can also be early signs of diabetes, such as failure to have an erection, or in women it can manifest itself as dryness in the vagina, the failure to have menstrual periods, or even going into menopause prematurely.
Other common early indications of diabetes are blurred vision, dizziness when going from a sitting to a standing position, any type of weight loss or weight gain, and even feelings of drowsiness or just a general feeling of malaise or depression.
It is estimated in the United States that as many as six million people have diabetes that goes undiagnosed because of a failure to recognize many seemingly innocent problems as signs of diabetes. If you have any of the symptoms described in this article or if other family members have diabetes, it is better to get it checked out as early as possible. Diabetes that goes untreated for a long period of time can result in comas, kidney problems, blindness and loss of limbs. If diabetes is caught early and treated, people can continue to lead healthy, active lives.