If you’re a woman with a waist measurement over 80cm (31.5 in), or a man over 94cm (37 in), it will be a good idea to get checked for diabetes whether you have symptoms or not.
Type 2 diabetes develops when your body can’t maintain a normal blood glucose any more, and it’s often a result of being overweight.
So, what are the symptoms of diabetes?
Pre-Diabetes Comes First
With type 2 diabetes you don’t just wake up with it one day. It tends to be a gradual process caused by eating too many carbs and putting weight on. You get to the point where your body can’t manage to keep your blood sugar down, so it starts to creep up.
Before you have full blown diabetes you have moderately raised blood glucose, this is pre-diabetes. This is NOT a harmless problem, even though it may not cause you any symptoms at this stage.
When your blood glucose is running higher than it should be, it damages your body. This could go on for years without you knowing. At this point you can change your ways and stop things progressing to the full blown illness of diabetes.
What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetes?
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
As your blood glucose gets more out of hand you progress onto diabetes, and you develop symptoms:
- It starts with tiredness
- Passing a lot of urine – glucose overflows from your kidneys into your urine – taking a load of water with it too
- Thirst – because the water is being pulled out of your system and into your bladder
- Blurry vision – too much glucose in your system disrupts the shape of the lens in your eye
If you’ve got any of this going on, it’s time to see your doctor and ask to be tested. Diabetes is diagnosed with a simple blood test.
Even at this stage you can change your ways and get yourself back to health.
My online weight loss course is absolutely ideal for people for diabetes. Find out more here.
Have an Uber Healthy week
Dr Julie
I had a test on my urine at the doctors. It showed sugar which I was told isn’t normal, but my blood test was ok. Not sure I understand what is going on here. Can you tell me please?
Hi Sally-Anne
Some people’s kidneys have a low threshold for leaking glucose out into the urine – this can happen even if your blood glucose is normal.
When this is picked up it’s important you have a blood test to check if there’s a problem. Obviously no problem with with you and your blood glucose must have been normal, but most people with sugar in their water will be diabetic.