Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic disease in which your blood sugar level exceeds its normal range. It occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin (a hormone that maintains the blood sugar level) or doesn’t adequately respond to insulin. As the result, when your insulin levels are off, your blood sugar level becomes problematic.
Diabetes is a widespread disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 30.3 million people in the United States are suffering from diabetes, and 84.1 million people are pre-diabetic. Another survey shows that 3.2 million people are reported with diabetes in the United Kingdom and Wales between the years 2020-and 2021.
In the early stages, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes are mild and gradual, so people don’t get the idea that they have type 2 diabetes. However, as the disease advances, the symptoms become more visible.
These symptoms include feeling thirsty, fatigue, excessive urination, and much more. So, let’s have a detailed overview of diabetes type 2 symptoms; that you should know:
1. EXCESSIVE URINATION:
When your blood sugar level increases, your kidneys work to remove excess sugar from the bloodstream. Therefore, peeing rate increases.
2. FEELING THIRSTY:
As the urination rate rises to remove extra sugar from the blood, the body also suffers from water loss every time the patient urinates. That causes dehydration, and as a result, the patient’s thirst level increases. So, he wants to drink more and more water.
3. INCREASED HUNGER:
In type 2 diabetes, the sugar present in the bloodstream doesn’t reach its destination. Therefore, body cells don’t get the required amount of energy and signal the brain that more food is needed so that the whole body can get the necessary amount of energy. Hence the patient feels hungry even after having a proper meal.
4. FEELING MORE FATIGUED:
As we have already discussed, in type 2 diabetes, the body cells don’t get proper food; accordingly, the energy level is also affected; and the patient feels more tired.
5. BLURRED VISION:
The raised blood sugar level is dangerous to the tiny blood vessels in the patient’s eyes. Owing to this, the patient sometimes feels blurry vision. Luckily, this condition is not permanent but may come and go. However, if the patient with diabetes is left untreated, the blood vessels become more damaged and lead to permanent vision loss.
6. PROLONGED HEALING OF WOUNDS AND INJURIES:
The raised blood sugar level damages the nerves and vessels in the body, so the circulation of the human body gets affected. In turn, this causes the delayed healing of wounds and cuts and; also increases the risk of infection.
7. TINGLING AND NUMBNESS IN HANDS AND FEET:
As we have mentioned that high blood sugar level affects the nerves in the body, this nerve damage generates sensations of tingling and numbness in the hands and feet. This condition is known as neuropathy, and it appears in the later stages of diabetes. It is a painful condition that can lead to complications if it is not properly treated.
8. DARK SKIN PATCHES:
Dark skin patches appear on the groves of the neck, armpits, and groin region. These patches are a significant symptom of diabetes. These patches are very soft and velvety to feel, and this condition is known as acanthosis nigricans.
9. YEAST INFECTIONS AND ITCHING:
The high sugar level in the blood circulation and urine act as a treatment for yeast and other microorganisms and cause infections in different body regions. These infections usually grow in warm and moist areas of the body, most commonly in the mouth, armpits, and genital areas. Owing to the infection, the patient feels itching, redness, soreness, and burning in the affected region.
After reading the above symptoms, if you feel the same symptoms are also evident in you, you should immediately consult your physician. So, he may prescribe you proper medication. It is a fact there is no permanent treatment for diabetes. However, with lifestyle modification and medication; you can live a happy and healthy life.