Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood sugar level is chronically high, although it is not very high to indicate complete diabetes. This means that a host of risk factors lead you down the path toward type 2 diabetes and all the negative health consequences this has of. According to some estimates, type 2 diabetes can affect up to 10 years of your life.
The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed. The sooner you recognize the problem, the sooner you can change some of the risk factors for the disease, such as being overweight or obese, living an unstable lifestyle, and consuming a lot of added sugar. There is also a genetic component that you cannot change, but you can still protect yourself through strict attention to a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
Your doctor should already test your blood glucose level in regular checkups, but how do you know if you have diabetes throughout the year?
There are some subtle symptoms that could cause problems together. Some, like 3 and 4, are sneaky and may not appear to be related to diabetes even though they are. Read on to get a head start on the risks prediabetes pose.
Hypertension
People with high blood pressure are at a pre-existing risk of developing diabetes because high blood pressure forces the heart to work harder to move blood around the body. This, in turn, makes it difficult for the body to get rid of the extra sugar from the bloodstream.
High blood pressure and diabetes are conditions that exacerbate each other, and studies have shown that having both significantly increases the risk of developing heart failure.
Unfortunately, both prediabetes and high blood pressure do not show symptoms to a large extent at first. If you know you have high blood pressure, you need to get serious about preventing prediabetes right away.
Blurry vision
Both prediabetes and complete diabetes can negatively affect your vision. When blood sugar levels fluctuate dramatically from high to low, it can cause fluid to leak into the lens of the eye. This happens because your body has undergone an overdraft to draw as much water out of the cells as possible in order to flush out the excess sugar. The effect on your eyes is that they swell, change shape, and eventually prevent them from focusing properly.
There are lots of other possible causes of blurry vision, but if you can relate your symptoms to any of the other symptoms on our list, prediabetes could be the cause.
Skin problems
Sometimes problems appear inside our bodies from the outside. Prediabetes are known to cause shiny scaly patches or dark velvety spots on the skin due to increased levels of insulin in the blood.
Prediabetes also start to affect blood circulation, which may cause itchy extremities, especially the legs. Full diabetics are at risk of losing foot due to heavy circulation, so you should act quickly if you suspect that your skin problems are related to diabetes.
Gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that causes acute uric acid crystals to grow within joint tissue. It is incredibly painful and may also indicate prediabetes.
Once considered the disease of royalty (Henry VIII famously had it), gout is often caused by a rich and abundant diet. It tends to affect people who are frequently overweight, and obesity is also a risk factor for diabetes.
Unexplained increased hunger
Sugar, or glucose, is the source of fuel we need to power our bodies. But when we get too much, the insulin produced by the pancreas is unable to process glucose effectively. This leaves too much sugar to float around the blood, where it cannot be used for energy. As a result, you may feel hungry right after a meal, because your body was not getting what it needed.
Usually hunger is a good tip for eating more, but in the case of prediabetes it won’t help the problem. It is best to drink some water to help flush out excess sugar in the urine, and take part in a gentle exercise to improve insulin sensitivity in your body.
Extreme fatigue
In the same way that excess blood sugar can lead to hunger, it can also lead to fatigue. When your body isn’t getting the fuel it needs, despite eating full meals, you’re bound to get tired. These symptoms may exacerbate other risk factors for diabetes as well, because of course when you are tired and tired you feel the need for rest.
But when fatigue is chronic, you can cut back on the physical activity necessary to maintain a healthy body weight. It’s also common to rely on greasy comfort foods when you feel very tired cooking (not mentioning the dishes afterward). A sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition are two of the most important risk factors for diabetes.
Increased thirst
Increased thirst, especially after a meal, could indicate prediabetes. Your body is starting to work harder to get rid of the excess glucose from the bloodstream, and one way to do this is by diluting the blood and excreting unprocessed sugar through the urine. To get this water, your body often withdraws it from the surrounding cells, making them chronically dehydrated and thirsty. When you’re locked in this vicious cycle, you can become dehydrated no matter how much you drink. However, there is some evidence that staying properly hydrated on a daily basis can help prevent the development of prediabetes and, ultimately, type 2 diabetes. Regulating water and blood sugar go hand in hand.