1. You're thirsty
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One warning sign of diabetes is that you might be experiencing excessive thirst. This might make you feel certain symptoms of dehydration like a dry mouth and headaches more frequently and make you feel like you're needing to drink more fluids than usual.
2. You need to go to the bathroom a lot
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Another warning sign of diabetes is that you feel like you're needing to visit the bathroom way more than usual. Frequent urination and excessive thirst are very common diabetes symptoms because when you have diabetes, excess glucose builds up in your blood. This makes your kidneys go into overdrive so they can filter and absorb it.
3. You're losing weight but don't can't explain why
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When a person is diabetic, medical experts explain that sometimes, they might experience unexplained weight loss. This is because the sugar tends to build up in your blood and stay there so your body doesn't get the fuel it needs. This means it begins to burn fat and muscle stores for energy.
4. You're hungry
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So because the sugar (or glucose) stays in the blood, the body cannot convert the food into energy. This might be because of the lack of insulin or insulin resistance. And when the body cannot convert food into energy, this might lead to increased hunger.
5. You're tired
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Fatigue is a common warning sign of diabetes and being more tired than before might even continue after a proper diagnosis and when you have the diabetes under control. Many people with diabetes report feeling lethargic and tired which could be due to having too high or low blood sugar levels.
6. You're wounds, cuts, or sores just won't heal
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Another warning sign of diabetes is that your wounds, cuts, or sores take much longer to heal than before. You see, diabetes can also cause poor blood circulation, and when you have poor blood circulation, it is much harder for your blood to reach the wound to begin to fight off the infection.
7. You have blurred vision
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Diabetes can also affect your eyes and your vision too. Having high glucose levels can cause swelling in your eyes. This swelling is specifically in the tissues in your eyes that help you to focus your vision. And when they swell, you might experience blurred vision.
8. You can't stop itching
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Diabetes can also cause you to feel way more itchy than usual. This could be due to dry skin, poor circulation, or certain skin infections, including yeast infections. You might be the itchiest on the lower parts of your legs if poor circulation is the culprit, or in the creases of your body, like your armpits or groin yeast infections are the cause.
9. You feel tingling or numbness
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Diabetes might also cause you to feel a tingling or a numb sensation in your hands or feet. This is because having high blood sugar has been often found to damage your nerves which can cause these sensations. Sometimes you might even feel pain or have difficulty completing normal everyday tasks. This is called diabetic neuropathy.
10. You're getting a lot of infections
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If you're getting more infections than usual, this might be another warning sign of diabetes. This is because diabetes can significantly weaken your immune system and which can certainly make you more prone to a number of infections, including yeast infections, infections of the skin, and more.
11. You have a dry mouth
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When your kidneys are working overdrive in an attempt to rid your body of the excess glucose present in your blood, you are certainly going to be way more thirsty than usual. And being more thirsty than usual can cause you to experience a frequently dry mouth, causing you to need to drink more fluids.
12. You're gaining weight
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So sometimes, diabetes causes unexplained weight loss, but it can also cause weight gain too. This can be caused by medications and a sedentary lifestyle which can lead to higher glucose and cholesterol levels. And if you have type 1 diabetes, once you start taking insulin, you might also gain weight
13. You're easily irritated
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Another warning sign that you might have diabetes is increased irritability. This is because your brain runs primarily on glucose and if you have poor glycemic regulation, this has been shown to impact your mental health. It might cause you to feel more irritable, anxious, and full of worry.
14. You're feeling nauseated
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If you're experiencing nausea, sickness, heartburn, or bloating, this could be a warning sign of diabetes. Medical experts have often found that if a person has high blood sugar, they might develop a stomach condition called gastroparesis which affects how you digest your food.
15. You're getting recurring yeast infections
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You might be finding that you are getting more frequent yeast infections and this might be making you wonder whether you have diabetes. You see, sugar helps candida grow, and when you have high levels of sugar in your blood, you'll probably have high levels in your sweat, saliva, and urine. This causes yeast to grow in your mouth and genitals and you might end up with an infection.
16. Men might experience erectile dysfunction
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Studies have found that men who have diabetes have more trouble getting or keeping an erection. In fact, they are up to three times more likely to have erectile dysfunction than men who do not have diabetes. This is more common in those with type 2 diabetes.
17. You're breath has a fruity odor
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If you already have diabetes, fruity-smelling breath can signify ketoacidosis (DKA). This condition is an acute complication of diabetes and can be fatal if it is not treated. There is also the possibility that a person with diabetes might have breath that smells like ammonia which is related to kidney disease.
18. You might experience changes to your menstrual cycles
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Diabetes can also affect your hormones and also cause changes to your menstrual cycle. Those with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes might have an increased risk of experiencing very long, heavy unpredictable, or very irregular menstrual cycles. This can worsen as diabetes progresses.
19. Your feet aren't what they were
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Another warning sign of diabetes is that you're experiencing more problems with your feet because of high blood sugar levels or poor circulation. These might be tingling or numbness, pain, a burning sensation, a dull ache, and more. If you don't get these symptoms treated, they could lead to foot ulcers, infections, and even amputations.
20. Your skin is dry
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Another warning sign of diabetes is dry itchy skin. Having dry and itchy skin can be a symptom of poor circulation which is, of course, a possible symptom of diabetes. And if you have too much sugar in your blood, your body takes fluid from cells so it can attempt to remove the excess sugar, which makes you dehydrated and might cause you to have dry skin.
21. You might even experience reduced vision
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As well as potentially causing you to have blurred vision, diabetes might also cause you to have reduced vision too. This is because the high levels of blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in your retina which can also stop blood flow. This is called diabetic retinopathy.
22. You might develop darker patches of skin
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One warning sign of diabetes that you also should not ignore is if you develop darker patches of velvety skin, particularly under your armpits, in the creases of your inner elbows and knees, and groin area. This could mean that you have too much sugar in your blood which is often a sign of prediabetes.
23. You're moody and you don't know why
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As we know, the brain functions primarily on glucose. And those who have higher blood glucose have often been found to be plagued with unexplained mood swings, including feelings of anger or sadness. Blood sugar fluctuations can make people, and not just those with diabetes, more prone to mood swings.
24. You just cannot concentrate
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When the body can't convert the glucose that you consume into energy, it's no wonder that you might be having some difficulty concentrating. This is because brain cells struggle to function correctly. Low blood sugar levels can also be due to taking diabetes medication incorrectly too.
25. You might experience a decline in cognitive abilities
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And with a limited amount of energy to fuel the cells the brain inevitably struggles to function properly. This means that you might experience a decline in your cognitive abilities, including being able to concentrate, being able to problem-solve, and also being able to remember things.
26. You're dizzy
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Another warning sign that you might experience if you might have diabetes is lightheadedness or dizziness. This is particularly common for those with type 2 diabetes because it can cause high blood sugar and also dehydration. And these can often cause people to feel dizzy or lightheaded.
27. You're experiencing chronic gum problems
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You might also be experiencing gum problems as an early warning sign of diabetes. This is because diabetes can lead to an increase in blood sugar, which also increases the sugar in your urine and your saliva. And this can lead to more bacterial growth and plaque buildup which can also lead to gum disease.
28. You keep getting skin infections
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Diabetes tends to cause skin infections too, and these will be more frequent in those with diabetes than those without. If you have diabetes, you are likely to develop skin infections and you might therefore notice hot, painful, and swollen skin, blisters, boils, scaly skin, dryness, or a white discharge.
29. You're getting headaches
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Headaches can be more frequent in those who have diabetes than those who do not. This is because high blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia, can often cause headaches. And headaches can also occur in people with diabetes when blood sugar levels are too low.
30. Seek a medical diagnosis
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Remember, if you are worried that you or someone you know is experiencing any of these warning signs of diabetes, it is important that you consult a medical professional for further evaluation, a proper diagnosis, appropriate medical advice, and effective management.