Diabetes Symptoms | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

What Are Symptoms of High Glucose Levels?

There are three classic symptoms of high glucose levels and several possible other symptoms. But, in order to understand the symptoms of high glucose levels it may be important to first understand why glucose levels become elevated in the first place. High glucose levels most commonly occur in those with diabetes.

This condition is caused when the body either does not produce enough insulin, or the cells are resistant to the insulin that is produced. While the body converts the sugars and carbohydrates that we ingest into glucose and glucose is the fuel for every cell in the body, without the action of insulin the glucose cannot enter the cell for use and remains in the bloodstream where levels build up.

This is why diabetics must take insulin or some form of medication that assists in the action of insulin. Even though glucose is the fuel for the body in high levels it becomes toxic and this toxicity combined with the fact that not enough glucose is entering the cells to power those causes the three trademark symptoms of high glucose levels.

Polyphagia is the first of the three symptoms of high glucose levels. Polyphagia is a fancy Greek word that means “eats a lot,” and refers to a sudden increase in appetite. This is due to the fact that the glucose is locked in the blood stream because there is a lack of insulin action to allow it to pass into the cell. Therefore your body is tricked into thinking that it is starving even though you are eating all the time and driving your blood glucose to new and dangerously high levels.

Polyuria is the second of the three classic symptoms of high glucose levels. Polyuria occurs because the body attempts to get rid of excess glucose through the urine. The glucose molecules in the bloodstream are so large that they attract water away from the body and cause excess water to be flushed out in the urine. This leads to the third of the classic symptoms of high glucose levels, which is polydipsia, or frequently thirsty. As the body loses water through the water molecules following the glucose molecules out of the body during the frequent urination the body responds by increasing thirst in the attempt to replace the lost water.

If you or someone you know has a family history of diabetes and/or begins to develop these symptoms of high glucose levels it is time for a visit to the doctor for a glucose tolerance test before the blood glucose rises to a dangerous level.

Have I Got Diabetes?

How to Recognize the Early Warning Signs of Diabetes.

Over 387 million people in the world suffer from diabetes worldwide. Unfortunately, only about half of them know they actually have this disease. The other 179 million people (46.3%) go undiagnosed probably until the early signs of diabetes become serious. Sufferers fail to recognize the early signs of sugar diabetes and also fail to seek medical advice early enough. This occurs mainly because the signs and symptoms are overlooked since they are usually mild and may seem harmless especially when the disease is in its initial stages. Other people put up with the first symptoms of diabetes due to their hectic lives that make it difficult to find the time to go for medical treatment. Therefore, the symptoms are ignored and they go untreated as the disease progresses to its dangerous stages.

Have I got Diabetes? What are the Early Signs of Diabetes?

Excessive thirst

The urge to drink unusually large quantities of water and other liquids is an early sign of diabetes that often seems trivial. Excessive thirst is usually caused by increased kidney activity which stimulates the need to drink extra fluid in order to balance the loss.

Increased frequency of urination

The need to urinate more frequently than you normally do is the first sign diabetes sufferers notice. Although it might seem like an inconvenience, this sign should be taken seriously because it might arise when the kidneys have to work overtime as they get rid of the high levels of sugar in the blood.

Unexplained weight loss

Most people are usually glad when they shed weight. However, when weight loss occurs suddenly especially when it is not associated with any deliberate effort to shed the weight, then something might be wrong. It is vital to seek medical attention in case of unexplained weight loss. Diabetics might lose weight despite eating more mainly due to the shortage of energy. Therefore, the human body breaks down lean muscle mass in order to provide the cellular energy it needs.

Extreme hunger

Unusual increase in hunger might be caused by the lack of insulin in your body. The body will give out hunger signals as your energy levels drop primarily because it needs the food to restore normal energy levels.

Feeling unusually fatigued

Fatigue occurs when the insulin in your body is insufficient to absorb sugar into the bloodstream efficiently. Therefore, the sufferer is afflicted by the unusual feelings of tiredness to the drop in the body’s energy levels.

Uncharacteristic irritability and mood swings

Low cellular energy levels in the body might cause irritability and mood swings. The sufferer might feel sluggish and some normal activities might even become a challenge. You might also experience depression alongside the irritability.

Blurred vision

Unusual disturbances to vision such as blurred vision should be investigated immediately. Excessive blood flows into the eye leading to swelling of the eye lenses. It is vital to look out for this early sign of diabetes because it might even cause blindness if left untreated.

Loss of feeling and numbness

Numbness in the feet legs, hand area or arms is one of the early signs of diabetes.

By keeping these warning signs in mind, you will not miss or ignore the first signs of diabetes. It is vital to test the warning signs of diabetes immediately and start making changes to your physical exercise level and diet. This enables you to act quickly and reduce the risk of developing full blown diabetes by keeping the early symptoms of diabetes in check.

So if you find yourself asking Have I got diabetes? then perhaps it’s about time for a full medical checkup. It could just save your life!