The number of people diagnosed with diabetes is increasing and this is largely down to our diet. It’s important that you manage your sugar intake to reduce the risk of diabetes, but you should also keep an eye out for the symptoms. Diabetes can be managed and if it is diagnosed early, it’s much easier. However, if left unchecked, it can lead to serious problems like heart failure.
There are some common symptoms to look for including increased thirst and hunger, fatigue, and unexplained weight loss. However, there are a lot of unusual symptoms that are not always associated with diabetes, meaning that it goes undiagnosed for a long time. These are some of the unusual symptoms of diabetes to watch out for.
Dark Skin Around The Neck
Increased levels of insulin in your body can change the way that skin cells reproduce. In some cases, it causes skin cells to reproduce much faster than normal, which leads to dark spots, usually around the neck area. This condition is known as acanthosis nigricans (AN). Although it usually affects the neck, it can also affect the groin and armpits too. If you spot any dark spots that were not there before, it’s worth getting them checked out. There are other potential causes, so it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have diabetes, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Incontinence
Incontinence is a common issue that affects a lot of people. Many people develop it naturally as they get older and you will experience it for a period after giving birth too. In these cases, you can just wear incontinence underwear to manage the problem. But if you are fairly young and you have not recently had children, urine leakage could be a sign of a bigger problem, like diabetes. When there is too much sugar in your blood, your kidneys work overtime to get rid of it, causing you to urinate more, and this often leads to leaks.
Changes To Your Vision
If you are having trouble seeing things or reading, you should get your eyes tested. In most cases, it’s just natural vision loss due to aging, but your vision could also be affected by diabetes. High blood sugar levels can lead to a buildup of fluid in the eyes, causing them to swell and making things appear blurry. In the long term, diabetes can cause a range of more serious eye problems. So, if your eyesight is going and you also notice some of the other symptoms of diabetes, you should speak to a doctor.
Irritability
Sugar levels in your body can have a big impact on your mood. Normally, if you eat a lot of sugar, you will experience a sugar rush followed by a crash. In people with diabetes, it is common for their blood sugar levels to spike or dip rapidly, and this often leads to irritability. There are, of course, all sorts of reasons that you might be feeling irritated but if it seems to be happening a lot, you should consider whether there is an underlying cause.
Diabetes is a serious health issue that needs to be diagnosed as early as possible, so keep an eye out for these unusual symptoms.