10 signs of prediabetes

1. Excessive Thirst

This is different than the normal feeling of being thirst when you have not had something to drink in awhile. Instead, someone with diabetes may drink several cups of water and still feel extremely thirsty. This feeling of being unable to quench your thirst is an early warning sign of diabetes.

 

2. Blurry Vision

High blood sugar can trigger blurred vision for you. At first you might think you need glasses or are just getting a headache. Blurry vision can also be from dry eyes which high levels of glucose in your body can cause. If you have blurry vision, that seems unusual or not normal for you, visit with your doctor or eye doctor to discuss this.

 

3. Using the Bathroom Frequently

This may occur naturally if you are drinking more water than usual. But frequent urination can be a sign of your body struggling to use all the nutrients it needs. This happens when uncontrolled blood sugars are left in the body. Your body will often start dumping liquid and your kidneys will function poorly. The excessive glucose in your blood needs insulin to decrease it. So if your body is not producing enough insulin, then the kidneys cannot filter the glucose and instead just pushes the fluid out of your body.

 

4. Being Tired

A feeling of never fully being rested or always being tired can be an early sign of diabetes. The excessive glucose in your system is sitting in the cells and blood stream. This makes the cells unable to produce a good energy for you to move and live on. The cells are starving for energy and become sluggish and slow to respond, resulting in extreme fatigue.

 

5. Wounds that are Slow to Heal

Your body does not function correctly when it is full of glucose. When you have diabetes your blood vessels can become damaged from the excessive amounts of glucose in your veins. As your blood vessels become damaged it is harder for them to heal quickly, resulting in cuts and wounds that are extremely slow to heal.

 

6. Tingling in Hands and Feet

Another side effect from veins being full of glucose, it makes it more difficult for blood to flow to your extremities. Early signs of diabetes often include people complaining of having tingling in their hands or feet. You might also feel like your hands and feet can never fully warm up. If you notice yourself turning the heat up in the summer time, you might want to check with your doctor to see if you are having early symptoms of diabetes.

 

7. Excessively Hungry

If you are eating a normal diet but still feeling hungry, it may be due to the highs and lows of blood sugar spikes. When your blood sugar increases you will feel full, but as it drops you can start to feel nauseous or like you need to eat something quickly. The low blood sugar triggers the body to think it is starving and needs more food, even if you have been eating plenty of food throughout the day.

 

8. Unexplained Weight Loss

As your body struggles to fight against the high levels of blood sugars you might notice a dramatic weight loss. This is because your lack of proper insulin is preventing glucose from getting properly used in the cells for energy. The kidneys are left to work overtime and eliminate excess as urine, instead of your food energy being used to fuel your body.

 

9. Itchy Skin

Poor circulation can result in dry skin, which often times will cause rashes and itching. There can be a darkening of the skin around the neck area also as the body begins to become resistant to insulin. If your itchy skin is persistent and does not go away with typical skin therapies, like lotions, you should talk with your doctor about other possible causes.

 

10. Yeast Infections

As your body develops diabetes it makes it more susceptible to infections. The yeast infection is the most common infection since our bodies have candida, or yeast, in it at all times. Yeast infections are not just for women and can develop in other areas besides the groin. White patches can develop in the mouth and quickly form a thick layer on the tongue. The candida yeast thrives in a sugar-rich environment, so it is often seen in people who have undiagnosed diabetes.