Signs and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Chances are, your body’s been trying to tell you that you’re not processing insulin that it needs. You just didn’t know it was a sign of disease, so you treated it as if it was normal, when it wasn’t.

One of the signs is that you’re thirstier than you were before. This is a subtle sign that’s easy to overlook because when you feel thirsty, you grab a drink – maybe water, but possibly sugary sodas or other sweet, caffeinated drinks.

You’ll also need to urinate more often. Again, we accept this as part of life, and usually overlook the actual frequency of the runs to the bathroom. You might excuse it as you having a small bladder, without recognizing that your bladder didn’t always act like that.

The problem is, your kidneys are strained because there’s so much extra glucose in your system, so you’re having to get rid of the toxins through urination. That makes you thirstier, so you’re constantly drinking more water.

Blurred vision is a common symptom. With the world so involved in technology on a regular basis, it’s easy to blame your blurriness on tired eyes, or the strain of the computer.

Fatigue is a symptom that gets overlooked because in this day and age – who isn’t tired? We stay up too late, we run too many errands, we work hard – and being tired just feels normal to us.

Plus, remember that you’ll be waking up to go to the bathroom more often, so you might think it’s just because of that – you haven’t slept well, so you’re tired and irritable. The cycle continues.

Continual hunger paired with weight loss is an odd combination. At first, you might think it sounds great to be able to eat a lot, more often, and yet lose weight. But this is a dangerous sign that your diabetes is wreaking havoc on your body.

The body is breaking down proteins from your muscles to use as fuel because it mistakenly believes it’s in starvation mode. So, this type of weight loss, while welcomed in terms of aesthetics, is awful to your health.

You might find it hard to concentrate on anything, or you feel like you have zero interest in what you’re working on. Again, such a subtle symptom that we accept it as something completely normal – but it’s actually your diabetes developing in your body.

There are times when you may feel your limbs tingling. If your hands or feet have a numbing sensation, or you feel like little needles are poking them, it could be a sign of impending nerve damage frequently caused by diabetes.

If you’re constantly complaining that you have a wound that won’t heal quickly, or you get infections more often now – then be aware that diabetes is probably involved, and care of your wounds is even more important now.

When you have cuts and bruises that can’t heal, it’s because the diabetes is causing damage to your blood vessels thanks to the extreme levels of glucose traveling freely throughout your veins.

It’s also possible that you might think you’re always sick with the flu, when in reality, the stomach aches and vomiting is a diabetic symptom that you’re trying to dismiss. Make sure you get tested for the flu whenever you think you have it to make sure.

Sometimes it’s a topical issue that shows you diabetes is developing. Skin irritations such as itchy skin or dryness will be a sign that you need your blood sugar checked. You also might have some darkening patches of skin around your neck or armpits.

If you’re a man or woman, then you might suffer from frequent yeast infections. Diabetes suppresses your immune system, so candida and other fungal infections run rampant.

What feeds them? Sugar, which diabetics have plenty of in their system. The yeast infections aren’t always vaginal. They can happen around a penis, too. Sometimes they occur between your fingers or toes, or under your breasts.

Dry mouth is also a sign of diabetes. Sometimes, it’s a normal occurrence, but when it happens over and over again, paired with extreme thirst and urination – it means you could have diabetes.

Ask someone you trust if your breath smells very sweet. This is a sign of ketosis, which means your kidneys are working overtime to try to break down protein and help your body function better.

Even the speed and depth of your breathing can be a sign of diabetes. When you’re breathing faster, or you have to continually take a deep breath, it could be a sign of diabetic development.

In order to see if these symptoms are normal or a measure of diabetes, you have to get tested by a physician. You want your official diagnosis to come from a professional, not from independent blood tests.

The test isn’t a one-time thing. Your doctor will want to re-test you and get a good indicator of whether this was a one-time thing or an ongoing disease for you. Sometimes people don’t fast properly and it messes up the results.

You’ll take a fasting glucose test to check your blood sugar after 8 hours of not eating. If it’s 126 mg/dL – and that happens on at least two tests, then it means you’ve been confirmed to have diabetes.

There’s a chance your test will be normal, and that you can address those symptoms above with no worry about diabetes. But you also may be shown to be prediabetic. This means your blood sugar is between 100 and 125 mg/dL. Anything below 100 is a normal diagnosis.

The test can tell your doctor how your blood sugar has been working for the past 2-3 months. So you can’t simply eat right one day and test the next and conceal the fact that you have diabetes. You’ll see real results soon after your blood is drawn and sent to the lab.