Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition which develops insidiously and often without notice during its early stages. Seeing the early warning signs means being able to diagnose them in time for intervention and, thus, relieve suffering by preventing any life-threatening complications. Here are the 10 early signs you should watch for:
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1. Thirsty and Frequent Urination
The first sign is extreme thirst (polydipsia) and frequent urination (polyuria). Increased blood sugar levels help to amplify kidneys to filter and reabsorb excess glucose. This extra work creates frequent urination but makes you even thirstier.
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2. Increased Hunger (Polyphagia)
Diabetes usually induces constant hunger even after meals. This process awakens the hunger signs to the brain in case of insulin resistance, and it sometimes overshoots to overeating.
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3. Unexplained Weight Loss
Some type 2 diabetic patients witness sudden weight loss despite feeding themselves plenty. This occurs because the body starts breaking down muscle and fat for energy, producing weight loss since it cannot access glucose.
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4. Fatigue and Weakness
An unrelenting early symptom is constant fatigue. Glucose starvation deprives the body of energy, causing fatigue in most when they haven’t rested long enough.
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5. Blurred Vision
Being temporarily blurred, it is on account of dry eyes from diabetes, where high glucose levels pull the fluid off the surface of the eye lens. Untreated this could indeed become a bigger vision problem.
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6. Slow-Healing Sores or Frequent Infections
A very serious indication that indicates slow healing wounds along with Type 2 Diabetes might hamper the natural healing systems and immune response, allowing for much easier infections to occur.
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7. Numbness or Tingling in Hands and Feet
This is essentially known as diabetic neuropathy and occurs as a result of nerve damage owing to the prolonged high blood glucose level. Tingling can proceed to pain in the extremities and numbness.
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8. Dark Patches of Skin (Acanthosis Nigricans)
The early warning signs of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes appear as dark, velvety patches of skin, usually in the folds of the neck, armpits, or groin.
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9. Increased Risk of Yeast Infection
High blood sugar provides a conducive environment for yeast growth to flourish, leading to frequent yeast infections to occur in both men and women within the mouth, armpits, and groin areas.
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10. Mood Swings
Fluctuations in blood sugar lead to changes in mood, irritability, and anxiety. Management of blood sugar can help greatly to stabilize mood.
Conclusion: Identification of early symptoms of type 2 diabetes is critical for timely airborne diagnosis and management. Should you feel any of these symptoms in one or more cases, kindly refer to a health professional for proper diagnosis and treatment. Early intervention may make the difference between stable glucose levels and severe complications from diabetes.
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