Diabetes affects the lives of millions of people all over the world. Untreated diabetes can cause serious health problems such as blindness and loss of limbs. Although the symptoms of the disease may vary from person to person, it is necessary to be conscious about the basic symptoms. Doctor Paul McArdle shared an important symptom that you “may not have noticed.”
TAKE A BLOOD TEST FREQUENTLY
“When the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood is too high, it can cause many symptoms, but people with type 2 diabetes often don’t notice any symptoms before they are diagnosed. This is because the condition develops slowly and we do blood tests quite often in people at high risk, so it’s diagnosed early.”
ATTENTION TO SYMPTOMS THAT OCCUR AT NIGHT
“However, there are some important symptoms to watch out for, such as feeling tired, dehydrated, and peeing a lot, especially at night. You may not have noticed that you started drinking a glass of water in bed or getting up more often at night to go to the bathroom.”
OTHER SYMPTOMS CAN ALSO DIAGNOSE THE DISEASE
Other “less obvious symptoms” that may occur include genital itching, thrush, blurred vision or sores that take longer to heal. The need to drink more water is linked to the increased need to urinate that comes with diabetes. When you have diabetes, your kidneys work hard to remove excess glucose from your blood. But at some point your kidneys can’t keep up. Glucose builds up in your urine, bringing in plenty of fluids as a result, explains the Mayo Clinic.
RISK FACTORS CAUSED BY DIABETES
Diabetes isn’t necessarily about eating too much sugar. It can be hereditary and is strongly linked to other lifestyle factors. Obesity, your overall diet, and how active you are also contribute to the onset of diabetes. The best way to control your blood sugar, according to Dr. McArdle, is “While sugar isn’t necessarily a cause of diabetes, if you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, removing the obvious sources of sugar from your diet is an important first step.”
CHOOSE SUGAR-FREE ALTERNATIVES
The first “really simple” step he recommends is to switch from foods and beverages high in sugar to sugar-free alternatives. “Sugar-free sweeteners can be used in hot beverages such as tea and coffee and can be very helpful in reducing your sugar intake in these beverages as well.
MORE RESEARCH MUST BE DONE FOR SWEETERS
In one study, thousands of people were asked to record everything they ate and drank over a three-day period. Researchers have found that people who regularly consume artificial sweeteners have a nine percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which include things like heart disease and stroke. . “Observational studies like these can only show a link, and more research is needed to understand the relationship between artificial sweeteners and the risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases,” said Tracy Parker, Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation (BHF).