Common Symptoms of Diabetes

If you’re experiencing any of the below, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Excessive Urination (Polyuria)

Polyuria is an increase in the frequency of urination. When you have abnormally high levels of sugar in your blood, your kidneys draw in water from your tissues in order to dilute the sugar, so your body can expel it in the urine. The cells are also pumping water into the bloodstream to flush out the sugar, and the kidneys are not able to reabsorb this fluid during filtering, resulting in excessive urination.

To meet the clinical definition of polyuria, an adult’s urine output must be more than 2.5 liters per day (normal urine output is 1.5 liters).

As it’s near enough impossible for you to measure this yourself, if you notice that you’re visiting the bathroom more times than usual, consult your doctor.

Excessive Thirst (Polydipsia)

This usually goes hand-in-hand with excessive urination. As your body pulls water from tissues to dilute your blood and to dispose of the sugar through urination, the urge to drink increases. 

Many people describe this thirst as an unquenchable one. To stay hydrated, you drink excessive amounts of fluids – if these fluids contain simple sugars, your blood sugar levels will increase dramatically.

Extreme Fatigue

Your body is like a vehicle – it needs fuel to run. Its main source of fuel is glucose (sugar), which is gained from foods that contain carbohydrates that can be broken down. Insulin, a hormone created by the pancreas, takes sugar from your blood to your cells to use for energy. 

However, if you have diabetes, either your pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or the insulin that your body is making isn’t being used properly, typically because the cells have become resistant to it. This ultimately results in your cells being deprived of sugar, or fuel. The result will be tiredness and extreme fatigue.

Cuts and Bruises That are Slow to Heal

When the blood is full of sugar, nerves and circulation can be affected. Adequate circulation is needed to heal as poor circulation makes it hard for blood to reach affected areas, slowing down the healing process. If you notice that you have a cut or bruise that is slow to disappear, this could be a sign of high blood sugars.

Excessive Hunger (Polyphasia)

This goes hand-in-hand with cell starvation and fatigue. As the cells are resistant to the body’s insulin, glucose remains in the blood. The cells are then unable to gain access to glucose, which will trigger hunger hormones to tell the brain that you’re hungry. Excessive eating can complicate things by causing blood sugars to increase.

Neuropathy

Numbness and tingling in the extremities is known as neuropathy. This is usually a symptom that occurs gradually over time as excess sugar damages the nerves. Keeping blood sugars within normal range can help prevent further damage and reduce the symptoms.

Blurry Vision

Blurred vision can be a result of elevated blood sugar levels. Similarly, fluid that is pulled from the cells into the bloodstream to dilute the sugar can also be pulled from the lenses of your eyes. When the lens becomes dry, the eye cannot focus, resulting in blurry vision. Therefore, it’s important that all people diagnosed with type 3 diabetes have a dilated eye exam shortly after diagnosis.