5 Warning Signs Of Diabetes #WorldDiabetesDay
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Today, schools & colleges across the nation will be busy celebrating Children’s Day, but let’s not forget that 14th November is World Diabetes Day (WDD). WDD was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organisation, primarily to help people fight back the disease by spreading awareness about it numerous health effects.
Over the years, diabetes has become one of the most common diseases known to mankind. A murderer of 4 million people globally in 2017, it a vengeful foe of humanity, a slow killer. Its effects though many on the patient, have an even more profound impact on near & dear ones. The role of the family in the management, care, & prevention of diabetes is monumental. Hence, the theme for diabetes awareness month and World Diabetes Day 2019 is Family and Diabetes. Protecting you & your family with regular health check-ups is important in preventing & fighting diabetes. Watch this video to learn more.
An alarming 4 out of 5 parents have trouble recognising the onset of diabetes because they miss the warning signs. The findings signify a radical need for education and awareness. Our communities need to be ready with the necessary knowledge which would help people spot diabetes at an early stage. A family well versed about the warning signs of diabetes is a blessing for anyone affected with the disease.
Diabetes if left untreated or unmanaged, diabetes can lead to life-changing complications. These include blindness, amputation, kidney failure, heart attack and stroke.
Let’s look at the 5 most common warning signs of diabetes.
Constant Thirst
High blood sugar leads to increased production of urine and creates the need to urinate more often. Frequent urination also causes you to lose a lot of fluid, resulting in a dehydrated state. This can be felt with the constant thirst & dry mouth. If you notice that you are drinking water more than usual, or that your mouth often feels dry and you feel thirsty, it could be signs of type 2 diabetes.
Dizziness
High blood sugar levels occur because not enough insulin is available in the body for energy metabolism. High blood sugars can cause a variety of metabolic responses in the body leading to dehydration, fatigue & dizziness.
Blurry Vision
The lens of the eye is a flexible membrane suspended by muscles that change the shape of the lens to focus the eye. In a high-sugar environment, such as with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, the muscles of the eye have to work harder to focus. Blurred vision occurs when there are rapid changes in blood sugar — from low to high or high to low — and the eyes do not get the time to get adapted to such sudden changes. The body later adapts to the sugar levels, and your vision will go back to normal. However, blurry vision is an important warning sign of diabetes.
Sudden Weight Loss
When you have type 2 diabetes, your cells don't get enough glucose, which may cause you to lose weight. Also, urinating constantly because of uncontrolled diabetes, may result in a loss of calories and water, resulting in weight loss.
Frequent Urination
When there is excess glucose present in the blood, the kidneys respond to the threat by flushing extra sugar out of the blood and body through the urine. This results in frequent urine production and the frequent need to urinate. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to get a UTI when compared to non-diabetics.
If you notice you have to go to the bathroom more often than you used to — including perhaps needing to get up every couple of hours during the night to urinate — and you seem to be producing more urine when you do go, talk to your doctor about whether you could have type 2 diabetes.
This World Diabetes Day test your diabetes knowledge and assess the risks involved with type 2 diabetes through an online quiz and an assessment.
For more info you can always talk to a specialist doctor online on DocsApp
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