Prediabetes
Print Overview Prediabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not yet high enough to be type 2 diabetes. Without lifestyle changes, people with prediabetes are very likely to progress to type 2 diabetes. If you have prediabetes, the long-term damage of diabetes — especially to your heart, blood vessels and kidneys — may already be starting. There's good news, however. Progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes isn't inevitable. Eating healthy foods, incorporating physical activity in your daily routine and maintaining a healthy weight can help bring your blood sugar level back to normal. Prediabetes affects adults and children. The same lifestyle changes that can help prevent progression to diabetes in adults might also help bring children's blood sugar levels back to normal. Symptoms Prediabetes generally has no signs or symptoms. One possible sign that you may be at risk of type 2 diabetes is darkened skin on certain parts of the body. Affected areas can include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles. Classic signs and symptoms that suggest you've moved from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes include: Increased thirst Frequent urination Fatigue Blurred vision When to see a doctor See your doctor if you're concerned about diabetes or if you notice any type 2 diabetes signs or symptoms. Ask your doctor about blood glucose screening if you have any risk factors for prediabetes. Causes The exact cause of prediabetes is unknown. But family history and genetics appear to play an important role. Inactivity and excess fat — especially abdominal fat — also seem to be important factors. What is clear is that people with prediabetes don't process sugar (glucose) properly anymore. As a result, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream instead o Continue reading >>
Early Symptoms Of Diabetes
What are the symptoms of diabetes? Although the signs of diabetes can begin to show early, sometimes it takes a person a while to recognize the symptoms. This often makes it seem like signs and symptoms of diabetes appear suddenly. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your body, rather than simply brushing them off. To that end, here are some type 1 and type 2 diabetes symptoms that you may want to watch out for: If you’re experiencing frequent urination your body might be telling you that your kidneys are trying to expel excess sugar in your blood. The resulting dehydration may then cause extreme thirst. Along the same lines, the lack of available fluids may also give you dry mouth and itchy skin. If you experience increased hunger or unexpected weight loss it could be because your body isn’t able to get adequate energy from the food you eat. High blood sugar levels can affect blood flow and cause nerve damage, which makes healing difficult. So having slow-healing cuts/sores is also a potential sign of diabetes. Yeast infections may occur in men and women who have diabetes as a result of yeast feeding on glucose. Other signs of diabetes Pay attention if you find yourself feeling drowsy or lethargic; pain or numbness in your extremities; vision changes; fruity or sweet-smelling breath which is one of the symptoms of high ketones; and experiencing nausea or vomiting—as these are additional signs that something is not right. If there’s any question, see your doctor immediately to ensure that your blood sugar levels are safe and rule out diabetes. So what are the low blood sugar symptoms you should look out for? It’s important to realize that the signs of… Polyuria occurs when your body urinates more frequently—and often in larger amounts—than Continue reading >>
10 Sneaky Diabetes Symptoms In Women - How To Know If You Have Diabetes | Women's Health
Diabetes is scary-common in the U.S.but the freakiest thing about it might be the number of people who are walking around undiagnosed. Of the 30 million people in the U.S. with diabetes, 25 percent aren't aware they have the disease, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . And it gets worse: Among the 84 million U.S. adults with pre-diabetes, a shocking90 percent have no clue they're on the path to a full-blown diabetes diagnosis, the CDC reports. That's probably because diabetes symptoms are often subtle, meaning many young women easily miss or dismiss them, says Poorani Goundan , M.D., an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center. Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when blood sugar is too high, usually because the body fails to produce enough insulin, has series side effects, too. Left untreated, it canlead to an increased risk of heart disease, nerve damage, and dementia down the road, Goundan says. (This isn't just an old-people problem either. More than half of new cases of adult diabetes strike before age 64, according to the National Institutes of Health .) That's why it's so important to both get regular check-ups (among other things, your doctor will check your fasting blood sugar levels, which can flag potential prediabetes and diabetes) and watch out for any signs of diabetes. These 10 surprising diabetes symptoms in women should definitely be on your radar: When you have excess sugar coursing through your blood stream, your body instinctively tries to get rid of it, says Mary Vouyiouklis Kellis, M.D., an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic . "Water follows sugar, so you end up having high-volume urine loss, she explains. If you notice youre suddenly peeing a lot, and more often, for no real reasonespecially if youre waking up a few Continue reading >>
Could You Have Type 2? 10 Diabetes Symptoms
Diabetes symptoms Diabetes affects 24 million people in the U.S., but only 18 million know they have it. About 90% of those people have type 2 diabetes. In diabetes, rising blood sugar acts like a poison. Diabetes is often called the silent killer because of its easy-to-miss symptoms. "Almost every day people come into my office with diabetes who don't know it," says Maria Collazo-Clavell, MD, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The best way to pick up on it is to have a blood sugar test. But if you have these symptoms, see your doctor. Watch the video: 5 Ways to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Increased urination, excessive thirst If you need to urinate frequently—particularly if you often have to get up at night to use the bathroom—it could be a symptom of diabetes. The kidneys kick into high gear to get rid of all that extra glucose in the blood, hence the urge to relieve yourself, sometimes several times during the night. The excessive thirst means your body is trying to replenish those lost fluids. These two symptoms go hand in hand and are some of "your body's ways of trying to manage high blood sugar," explains Dr. Collazo-Clavell. Weight loss Overly high blood sugar levels can also cause rapid weight loss, say 10 to 20 pounds over two or three months—but this is not a healthy weight loss. Because the insulin hormone isn't getting glucose into the cells, where it can be used as energy, the body thinks it's starving and starts breaking down protein from the muscles as an alternate source of fuel. The kidneys are also working overtime to eliminate the excess sugar, and this leads to a loss of calories (and can harm the kidneys). "These are processes that require a lot of energy," Dr. Collazo-Clavell notes. "You create a calorie deficit." Hunger Continue reading >>
Do I Have Diabetes? Know The Warning Signs
Diabetes is a serious, yet common medical condition. If you have diabetes, you need to manage your blood sugars and regularly monitor them to be sure they are within their target range. There are a few types of diabetes, though the main two types are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. They differ due to the cause. You may have sudden symptoms of diabetes, or a diagnosis may surprise you because the symptoms have been gradual over many months or years. Diabetes symptoms may occur over time or they may appear quickly. The various types of diabetes may have similar or different warning signs. Some general warning signs of diabetes are: Other warning signs of type 1 Type 1 diabetes is generally diagnosed in children and young adults, though it can occur at any age. A child may experience these additional symptoms: sudden, unintentional weight loss wetting the bed after a history of being dry at night a yeast infection in a prepubescent girl flu-like symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, breath that smells like fruit, problems breathing, and loss of consciousness Flu-like symptoms are caused when undiagnosed diabetes causes ketones to build up in the bloodstream. This condition is called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical treatment. Learn more: Diabetic ketoacidosis » Other warning signs of type 2 You may not notice sudden symptoms of type 2 diabetes, but the warning signs listed above may alert you to an underlying condition. You may be diagnosed with diabetes because you go to the doctor for: persistent infections or a slow-healing wound complications that are associated with prolonged high blood sugar levels, such as numbness or tingling in your feet heart problems You may never experience obvious warning signs at all. Diabete Continue reading >>
Early Symptoms Of Diabetes
How can you tell if you have diabetes? Most early symptoms are from higher-than-normal levels of glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood. The warning signs can be so mild that you don't notice them. That's especially true of type 2 diabetes. Some people don't find out they have it until they get problems from long-term damage caused by the disease. With type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually happen quickly, in a matter of days or a few weeks. They're much more severe, too. Both types of diabetes have some of the same telltale warning signs. Hunger and fatigue. Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But your cells need insulin to bring the glucose in. If your body doesn't make enough or any insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body makes, the glucose can't get into them and you have no energy. This can make you more hungry and tired than usual. Peeing more often and being thirstier. The average person usually has to pee between four and seven times in 24 hours, but people with diabetes may go a lot more. Why? Normally your body reabsorbs glucose as it passes through your kidneys. But when diabetes pushes your blood sugar up, your kidneys may not be able to bring it all back in. This causes the body to make more urine, and that takes fluids. You'll have to go more often. You might pee out more, too. Because you're peeing so much, you can get very thirsty. When you drink more, you'll also pee more. Dry mouth and itchy skin. Because your body is using fluids to make pee, there's less moisture for other things. You could get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can make you itchy. Blurred vision. Changing fluid levels in your body could make the lenses in your eyes swell up. They change shape and lose their a Continue reading >>
Warning Signs Of Type 2 Diabetes
Almost a third of people who have diabetes do not know it. That number comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, most people with prediabetes — a condition that puts people at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes — don’t know they have it. So my diabetes story, which began in ignorance, was not so unusual. I had prediabetes for a long time before the complications caused by high blood sugar led to a stroke. This is the reason I made a list of warning signs for Type 2 diabetes. Perhaps you or someone you love will see how important it is to get a simple blood sugar test. If this sneaky condition is caught early, you can avoid serious complications. The symptoms of Type 2 are well known but are easy to miss. Two of them are increased thirst and frequent urination. The word “diabetes” comes from the Greek word for “siphon.” If the beta cells in your pancreas are working, insulin is pumping into your blood to help your body digest carbohydrates like sugar and bread and noodles. But in Type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes) your cells are resistant to insulin, which leaves much of that glucose, or simple sugar, in the bloodstream. When blood glucose levels are above 250 mg/dl, the ability of the kidneys to reabsorb fluids is blocked, leading to the release of large amounts of liquid (and sugar) into the bladder. (A urine test would show high sugar content. This is why for thousands of years, diabetes was called the “sweet urine disease.”) This process uses lots of water, leading to increased thirst. Another sign of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes is fatigue. Since your muscle cells are resisting insulin, they are not getting fed the glucose from your blood supply. It makes you tired. The problem with using fatigue as a warnin Continue reading >>
Diabetes: How Do I Know If I Have It?
Please note: This information was current at the time of publication. But medical information is always changing, and some information given here may be out of date. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor.org, the AAFP patient education website. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your body doesn't make enough of a hormone called insulin, or if your body doesn't use insulin the right way. If left untreated, it may result in blindness, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and amputations. Only half of the people who have diabetes are diagnosed because in the early stages of diabetes, there are few symptoms, or the symptoms may be the same as in other health conditions. What are the symptoms of diabetes? Early symptoms of diabetes may include: Extreme thirst Frequent urination Unexplained weight loss Blurry vision that changes from day to day Unusual tiredness or drowsiness Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet Frequent or recurring skin, gum or bladder infections If you have any of these symptoms, call your family doctor right away. Who is at risk for diabetes? The early stages of diabetes have few symptoms, so at first you may not know you have the disease. Damage may already be happening to your eyes, kidneys and cardiovascular system before you notice symptoms. You have more risk of having diabetes if: You're older than 45 years. You're overweight. You don't exercise regularly. Your parent, brother or sister has diabetes. You had a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds or you had gestational diabetes while you were pregnant. You are black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or a Pacific Islander. If you have one or more of these risk factors, your doctor may want you to be tested for diabetes. Continue reading >>
7 Warning Signs Of Type 2 Diabetes
1 / 8 What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes? More than 100 million American adults are living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the number of people who know they have the diseases — which can lead to life-threatening complications, like blindness and heart disease — is far lower. Data from the CDC suggests that of the estimated 30.3 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, 7.2 million, or 1 in 4 adults living with the disease, are not aware of it. And among those people living with prediabetes, only 11.6 percent are aware that they have the disease. Prediabetes is marked by higher than normal blood sugar levels — though not high enough to qualify as diabetes. The CDC notes that this condition often leads to full-blown type 2 diabetes within five years if it's left untreated through diet and lifestyle modifications. Type 2 diabetes, which is often diagnosed when a person has an A1C of at least 7 on two separate occasions, can lead to potentially serious issues, like neuropathy, or nerve damage; vision problems; an increased risk of heart disease; and other diabetes complications. A person’s A1C is the two- to three-month average of his or her blood sugar levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors may use other tests to diagnose diabetes. For example, they may conduct a fasting blood glucose test, which is a blood glucose test done after a night of fasting. While a fasting blood sugar level of less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) is normal, one that is between 100 to 125 mg/dL signals prediabetes, and a reading that reaches 126 mg/dL on two separate occasions means you have diabetes. People with full-blown type 2 diabetes are not able to use the h Continue reading >>
Diabetes Warning Signs
Because type 2 diabetes can lead to some serious health complications, it's important to be aware of any diabetes warning signs and get tested for diabetes, if you have these symptoms. Treating diabetes early, when treatment is most effective, can help prevent these diabetes complications. We'll explain the various diabetes warning signs and also warning signs of specific diabetes problems. Discover why it's important to listen to your body and alert your doctor if you notice any new signs or problems. Sometimes type 2 diabetes can develop without any warnings signs. In fact, about a third of all people who have type 2 diabetes don't know they have it. That's why it's important to talk to your doctor about your risk for diabetes and determined if you should be tested. Common warnings signs of diabetes include: Increased hunger (especially after eating) Unexplained weight loss (even though you are eating and feel hungry) Continue reading >>
A Diabetes Test You Can Do Yourself
Are you urinating more often, feeling very thirsty, hungry, or tired? Maybe you’re losing weight. You may have type 2 diabetes. To find out, you can make an appointment with your doctor and have your blood tested for the condition. Or you can go to the drug store, buy a blood glucose meter, and give yourself a diabetes test. An estimated 40 percent of adults with type 2 diabetes don’t know they have it, which means they aren’t getting treatment that could protect them from very serious health problems down the road, such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. The best option is to go to a doctor if you’re having symptoms of diabetes. But if you’re reluctant to do that, for whatever reason, the next best thing is to buy an over-the-counter diabetes test kit. "If you have a family history of diabetes, are obese, or have high blood pressure, you should test yourself for diabetes, if your doctor hasn’t already done so," says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports' chief medical adviser. "By being a proactive person, you might save yourself a lot of grief in the future.” Blood glucose meters can be purchased without a prescription. Models in our Ratings of more than two dozen devices cost $10 to $75. They usually come with 10 lancets, but you might have to buy a pack of test strips separately, which can cost $18 and up; check the package to see what it includes. If the meter doesn’t come with strips, make sure you buy a pack made for that model or you’ll get inaccurate results. Most models come with batteries. Here’s what you need to do next: Fast overnight. Don’t have anything to eat or drink (except water) for at least 8 hours, then test yourself first thing in the morning, before breakfast. Follow directions. Read the manual to ma Continue reading >>
10 Silent Diabetes Symptoms You Might Be Missing
Diabetes has plenty of early signs, but they're subtle enough that you might not notice. Syda Productions/shutterstock "It's not like you wake up one day and all of a sudden you're thirsty, hungry, and [going to the bathroom] all the time," says Melissa Joy Dobbins, RD, a certified diabetes educator in Illinois and a spokesperson for the American Association of Diabetes Educators. "It picks up gradually." Indeed, "most people are unaware that they have diabetes in its early or even middle phases," says Aaron Cypess, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and staff physician at Joslin Diabetes Center. Just because you're not keyed in doesn't mean you're immune from problems associated with diabetes, he adds. The longer you go without controlling diabetes, the greater your risk for heart disease, kidney disease, amputation, blindness, and other serious complications. "We recommend that people with risk factors for diabetes, such as a family history or being overweight, get evaluated on a regular basis," Dr. Cypess says. If you've been feeling off, talk to your doctor about getting a simple blood test that can diagnose the disease. And pay attention to these subtle diabetes symptoms and signs. Try these simple tricks for living well with diabetes from people who actually have it. Iryna Kolesova/shutterstock When you have diabetes, your body becomes less efficient at breaking food down into sugar, so you have more sugar sitting in your bloodstream, says Dobbins. "Your body gets rid of it by flushing it out in the urine." So going to the bathroom a lot could be one of the diabetes symptoms you're missing. Most patients aren't necessarily aware of how often they use the bathroom, says Dr. Cypess. "When we ask about it, we often hear, 'Oh yeah, I guess I Continue reading >>
The 17 Warning Signs Of Type-2 Diabetes
Many people suffer from type-2 diabetes and don’t even know it. This is because some of the symptoms might not seem like much, but it is vital to know what could be a warning sign… Type-2 diabetes is a bigger danger than we often realize. This is because it is not only the ailment itself that is a problem, but it can also lead to various other serious health issues. If you are not careful, type-2 diabetes can lead to things like insulin resistance, heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. Here are 17 warning signs that might tell you that you are already suffering from type-2 diabetes or are well on your way to it… Constantly feeling thirsty. Always feeling hungry, even after you have just eaten. Your mouth feeling dry the whole time. Frequently urinating. Unexplained weight loss, even while eating more. Feeling tired and fatigued. Blurry vision. Persistent headaches Occasional loss of consciousness. Sores or cuts that don’t seem to heal. Itchy skin, especially around the groin or vaginal area. Regular yeast infections. Fluctuations in your bodyweight. Acanthosis nigricans (Velvety dark skin patches in the neck, armpit, and groin) Numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands and feet Problems with your sight. Erectile dysfunction. If you notice any of these signs, it is important to consult a doctor to get tested for diabetes. The earlier you can detect it and start treating it, the easier it will be to manage. But of course, prevention is always better than cure. It is also advised that you get tested for type-2 diabetes even if you don’t have any of the symptoms, as many people only realize they have it once they have had it for a while, which can increase the risk of other dangerous health issues. How you can stop and even prevent type-2 diabetes Diabetes comp Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms
Type 1 diabetes develops gradually, but the symptoms may seem to come on suddenly. If you notice that you or your child have several of the symptoms listed below, make an appointment to see the doctor. Here’s why symptoms seem to develop suddenly: something triggers the development of type 1 diabetes (researchers think it’s a viral infection—read this article on what causes type 1 diabetes, and the body loses its ability to make insulin. However, at that point, there’s still insulin in the body so glucose levels are still normal. Over time, a decreasing amount of insulin is made in the body, but that can take years. When there’s no more insulin in the body, blood glucose levels rise quickly, and these symptoms can rapidly develop: Extreme weakness and/or tiredness Extreme thirst—dehydration Increased urination Abdominal pain Nausea and/or vomiting Blurry vision Wounds that don’t heal well Irritability or quick mood changes Changes to (or loss of) menstruation There are also signs of type 1 diabetes. Signs are different from symptoms in that they can be measured objectively; symptoms are experienced and reported by the patient. Signs of type 1 diabetes include: Weight loss—despite eating more Rapid heart rate Reduced blood pressure (falling below 90/60) Low body temperature (below 97º F) There is an overall lack of public awareness of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes. Making yourself aware of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes is a great way to be proactive about your health and the health of your family members. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms, it’s possible that you have (or your child has) type 1 diabetes. A doctor can make that diagnosis by checking blood glucose levels. Continue reading >>
How To Tell If You Have Diabetes
Expert Reviewed If you believe that you may have diabetes, consult a medical professional immediately. Type 1 diabetes is when the islet cells of your pancreas can no longer produce insulin; it is a type of autoimmune disease that makes them no longer functional. Type 2 diabetes is more lifestyle-related (relating to lack of exercise and consuming too much sugar). It is important to know the signs and symptoms of diabetes, as well as to understand how it is diagnosed, in order to be treated as soon as possible if you do have the condition. 1 Be aware of the following signs and symptoms. If you have two or more on the list below, it is best to see your doctor for further evaluation. Common signs and symptoms of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes include:[1] Excessive thirst Excessive hunger Blurry vision Frequent urination (you wake 3 or more times in the night to urinate) Fatigue (particularly after eating) Feeling irritable Wounds that don't heal or heal slowly 2 Take note of your lifestyle choices. People who live a sedentary life (with little to no exercise) are at a heightened risk of Type 2 diabetes. People who are overweight or obese, or who eat more sweets and refined carbohydrates than is ideal are also at significantly higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.[2] Note that Type 2 diabetes is acquired in one's life, most often related to poor lifestyle choices, versus Type 1 diabetes which is a condition one is born with that most often presents in childhood. 3 See your doctor.[3] The only way to truly confirm whether or not you have diabetes is to see your doctor for diagnostic testing (in the form of blood tests). The numbers that come back on your blood tests will help to classify you as "normal," "pre-diabetic" (meaning you are at very high risk of soon develo Continue reading >>
