Alexandria Wyckoff
Diabetes affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, but it often sneaks up on people. They may not realize it, but there are plenty of symptoms that signal early signs of prediabetes or diabetes, but they are subtle and are easily overlooked. However, there are a few signs you should pay attention to, especially if you have other risk factors such as being overweight, not getting enough exercise, being over 45 years old, or having a family history.
6. Blurry Vision
Starting our list of early signs of prediabetes is blurry vision. This is because high blood sugar affects fluid levels in the eye, making it swell and have difficulty focusing. If this swelling continues for long periods of time, blood vessels in the retina could be damaged, leading to more severe eye problems. Diabetes-related vision loss is the leading cause of blinding among adults.
5. Tingling/Numbness in Hands
Fifth on our list of early signs of prediabetes is having numbness or tingling in your hands. If your blood sugar is high for a long period of time, it can lead to nerve damage. This prompts the tingling, burning, or lack of sensation in your hands or other extremities. Our hands and feet work best with normal blood sugar levels.
4. Skin Changes
Next on our list of early signs of prediabetes is skin changes. While all of our skin changes as we get older, there are some things to keep an eye out for concerning prediabetes. Dark, velvety patches of skin, particularly in the neck, armpit, groin, or knuckle areas, can be an indicator of insulin resistance. This is a warning sign of prediabetes.
3. Hungrier/Thirstier than Normal
Rounding out the top three early signs of prediabetes is being hungrier or thirstier than usual. If your body isn’t using glucose properly to get energy, it leads to not having enough energy, resulting in food cravings and hunger. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating more than normal, either, since the body is not using the energy, it requires more. In a similar vein, high blood sugar levels can cause you to be thirsty and lead to more bathroom trips.
2. Gaining/Losing Weight without Trying
Second on our list of early signs of prediabetes is unexplained weight changes. It doesn’t matter if it’s weight gain or loss; both of these can be linked to abnormal sugar levels. While diabetes may be associated with being overweight, one of the first signs can be weight loss. Since you’re not absorbing glucose properly, the body burns muscle and fat instead. This symptom is especially important if it’s paired with others on the list.
1. More Tired than Usual
Last but not least on our list of early signs of prediabetes is tiredness. Since your body resists insulin with diabetes, you cannot absorb glucose with food properly, ending up with less energy. This can lead to feelings of exhaustion or tiredness, especially after meals. The best way to tell is after eating high-carbohydrate foods, which cause blood sugar spikes and crashes more easily than other foods.