What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Dehydration

The excessive proportion of glucose in urine causes a feeling of a permanently dry mouth and therefore severe thirst. For this same reason, the body feels the need to flush out toxins more regularly. As a result, a person with diabetes suffers from an increased need to urinate.

Dietary problems

The lack of insulin production in the pancreas, or resistance to the hormone, leads to constant hunger. In addition, the improper uptake of glucose leaves muscle cells and organs under-nourished. Unexplained weight loss follows, as well as permanent fatigue.

Lack of oxygenation in the blood

Blood sugar levels that are too high have the effect of reducing blood flow. Oxygen therefore circulates more slowly in the blood, increasing shortness of breath after the slightest exertion. There are other complications due to oxygenation disorders, too. These are longer healing times and an increased risk of skin infections (abscesses, boils and fungal infections).

Diabetic neuropathy

Atingling sensation in the fingers and toes is caused by a neurological disorder. One of the signs of high blood sugar is diabetic neuropathy and it can be relieved with the right treatment.

Other symptoms

Finally, other disorders can be detected when a person contracts type 2 diabetes:

• The development of visual problems
• An increase in urinary tract infections
• Erectile dysfunction

The importance of diagnosing prediabetes

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes only appear after many years. There is a good reason for this as a silent phase precedes the disease, during which blood sugar increases very gradually. During this transition stage, the glucose level in the blood is too high to be considered normal. However, it is not enough for the person to be considered diabetic.

This phase is called prediabetes. It does not sound like a disease, and those diagnosed with it have no greater risk of complications than a healthy person. Despite this, the diagnosis of prediabetes must act as a triggerto prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.

It is estimated that prediabetes affects nearly 541 million people worldwide. Many are unaware of the condition. However, the detection of prediabetes can be seen as good news because it can be reversed.

Indeed, if simple lifestyle and dietary changes are made in time, prediabetes will subside and eventually disappear, taking with it the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes and serious health complications. A sedentary lifestyle, being overweight or obese and a poor diet are all factors that foreshadow prediabetes.

To overcome prediabetes, the actions required are rather basic. Weight loss and lower blood pressure are essential. A suitable diet, low in sugars and fats, and regular physical activity are enough to reverse the trend.