5 Warning Signs for Diabetes

In the movement for diabetes awareness, there is a silver lining to the unfortunate rise in obesity rates over the recent years: diabetes is now a well-known medical condition, and the hope is that this will translate into people of all ages taking steps to lower their controllable risk factors. And yet, there is an underlying problem emerging: many Americans think of diabetes as an obesity-induced condition, so if someone isn’t significantly overweight, they assume that they are not at risk for diabetes. But the truth is that although this condition does commonly develop in obese patients, it can affect people of any size, shape, gender, ethnicity, and family history, and it can strike at any age. So, regardless of your current health, knowing the warning signs for diabetes will help you stay in control of your long-term health and will let you know if it’s time to pay us a visit at No-Name Family Physicians.

Signs You May Have Diabetes:

Frequent urination – Diabetes limits your body’s ability to naturally control the sugar in your blood. This makes your kidneys work overtime to flush out the excess sugar, which causes you to take more frequent trips to the restroom. So how often is too often to urinate? In general, it is considered normal to urinate six to seven times per day, but everyone’s body is unique, so simply be on the lookout for any pattern that is different from your typical schedule.
Excess thirst – When diabetes is causing you to urinate more often, your body can become dehydrated, which leaves you feeling thirsty more often than you normally would.
Unexplained weight loss – If you’re overweight and you’ve suddenly begun dropping weight quickly, you may be tempted to brush it off as a dream come true. But unfortunately, if your weight loss doesn’t make sense with your diet and activity level, it can signal any number of underlying health problems, including diabetes.
Feeling tired more frequently – Diabetes is hard on your body, and between the dehydration and the constant struggle to balance your blood sugar, you can be drained of the energy you used to enjoy throughout the day.
Blurry vision – The sugar imbalances that result from diabetes can also impact the fluids in your eyes, making it more difficult for your eyes to focus and leaving you with blurred vision (or vision that is blurrier than it already was).

Now, with all those common diabetes symptoms in mind, remember that everyone’s body is unique, so some people who develop diabetes may find themselves with all of the symptoms above, while others have no symptoms at all. If you do notice one or more of the diabetes warning signs, don’t panic and don’t attempt to make your own diagnosis. Just give us a call to schedule an appointment at No-Name Family Physicians to discuss your concerns, and our board-certified practitioners will explain any further testing needed in order to get to the bottom of your symptoms and get you back in tip-top shape.

Notes:

Project Description: Blog for a general physician’s website

Intended Audience: Patients of all ages with minimal medical knowledge