Signs to Watch for to Detect Diabetes

Chapter 4 · Vihang Rahul Vasa

Diabetes often arrives quietly, without dramatic symptoms. But your body does send signals: subtle ones at first, louder ones if ignored. Knowing what to look for can mean the difference between catching it early, when it is easily manageable, and discovering it late, when complications have already begun. Here are the key signs to watch for:

• Increased thirst (Polydipsia): You find yourself drinking water constantly, far more than usual, and yet your mouth still feels dry. Your body is trying to dilute the excess plasma glucose (blood sugar) in your bloodstream.

• Increased hunger (Polyphagia): Despite eating full meals, you feel hungry again soon after. Your cells are not receiving enough glucose for energy, so your body keeps signalling for more food.

• Frequent urination (Polyuria): You are visiting the bathroom far more often than normal, especially at night. Your kidneys are working overtime to filter and expel the excess glucose through urine.

• Numbness or tingling in feet and hands: A pins-and-needles sensation, especially in the extremities, can indicate that high plasma glucose (blood sugar) is beginning to damage the small nerves. This is one of the most commonly observed early signs of neuropathy due to diabetes.

• Slow wound healing: Cuts, scrapes, and bruises that used to heal in days now take weeks. High plasma glucose (blood sugar) impairs blood circulation and weakens the immune response needed for tissue repair.

• Darkened skin patches (Acanthosis Nigricans): Dark, velvety patches of skin appearing behind the neck, in the armpits, or in skin folds. This is a visible sign of insulin resistance and is strongly associated with Type 2 Diabetes and I did have this to start with!

• Blurred or fluctuating vision: Your eyesight seems to change from day to day, or you notice a persistent blur. High plasma glucose (blood sugar) can cause the lens of the eye to swell, temporarily altering your ability to focus.

• Frequent infections: Recurring skin infections, gum disease, or urinary tract infections. Diabetes weakens your body’s natural defence system, making it easier for infections to take hold and harder for them to resolve.

Advisory: If you observe more than one of the above symptoms, or if you have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes, it is strongly advisable to consult a doctor immediately and get your plasma glucose (blood sugar) levels checked. Remember also that these symptoms are not, by themselves, proof of diabetes: several of them can arise from entirely different conditions. Only a doctor, with the proper tests, can make the diagnosis. The basic tests include a fasting plasma glucose test, a post-meal (postprandial) plasma glucose test, and an HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) test (explained in Chapter 10). These are simple, widely available, and affordable. Early detection can undoubtedly be an important tool in reducing the risk of complications and ensuring timely, effective management. Do not wait for symptoms to worsen: act now, and let the numbers tell the story. And one step better: do not wait for symptoms at all. A preventive annual health check can reveal rising plasma glucose (blood sugar) years before your body says a word: the earlier you know, the easier the battle.

(Reference for this chapter, acanthosis nigricans as a sign of insulin resistance, is listed in Appendix B.)

Illustration: Chapter 4 illustrated summary. Possible signs include thirst, hunger, frequent urination, blurred vision, slow healing, tingling, dark skin patches and recurring infections.

Chapter 4 Possible signs include thirst, hunger, frequent urination, blurred vision, slow healing, tingling, dark skin patches and recurring infections. These signs alone do not confirm diabetes.

Chapter at a glance: an AI-generated illustration to be read with the chapter, not instead of it. The people shown are not real.