More than 100 million people are living with diabetes. While the condition is quite common, many people don’t know the warning signs. One of the most common symptoms is frequent urination, but there are many others.
If you’re concerned about diabetes, here’s a list of little-known symptoms that appear early-on to watch for:
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Frequent urination
Your kidneys may be working overtime to remove the extra sugar from your blood. This is especially common at night.
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Increased thirst
Along with frequent urination comes increased thirst. That’s because the body can lose additional water—even enough to lead to dehydration—trying to remove excess sugar from the blood through urination.
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Constant hunger
Diabetics don’t get enough glucose into their bodies’ cells to use as fuel. This can cause you to feel hungry, even if you just ate.
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Slow wound healing
When nerves and blood vessels get damaged by too much sugar in the blood, circulation is impaired. This can make delay the healing of even the smallest cuts and wounds, which also increases the risk of infection.
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Blurry vision
Impaired vision or full blindness can be a severe complication of diabetes. If you notice blurry vision in one or both eyes—even if it’s not constant—it could be a sign that the excess sugar in your blood is damaging the blood vessels in your eyes.
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Dark skin patches
If you notice soft dark patches on your groin, armpit or the creases of your neck—known as acanthosis nigricans—it could indicate the development of diabetes.
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Exhaustion
Much like the constant hunger, your body may be trying to tell you that it’s not getting enough glucose in your cells to use as fuel.
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Tingling, numbness or pain in the hands or feet
Known as neuropathy, damage to nerves can occur if high blood sugar levels affect circulation.
