Pics in blood sugar can feel different for everyone. “Not everyone will have the same symptoms, and some people will have no symptoms,” explains Lori Zanini, RD, CDE, dietitian based in Los Angeles and author of The diabetes cooking book and the meal plan for the new diagnosis.
If you think your levels can be out of control, it is important to act, even if you feel very well. “The symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes may not appear as long as prolonged hyperglycemia (blood sugar) has been present,” explains Mary Ann Emanuele, MD, endocrinologist, professor and medical director of hospital diabetes at the University of Loyola medical center in Maywood, Illinois. Having diabetes that is not well managed can increase your risk of related health complications, such as cerebral vascular accidents, heart disease and nervous lesions. Adjusting your medication, with the help of your health care team, can make a difference.
1. You urine more than usual and are very thirsty
Uriner very often is a common sign but not so obvious of blood sugar which is too high. “Excessive urination, known as polyuria, occurs when glucose accumulates in your blood and your kidneys are starting to work harder to get rid of additional glucose,” explains Zanini. If your body cannot follow and adjust blood sugar so that it comes back to a normal level, excess sugar is rinsed from your body through urine, she says. You can become dehydrated and get very thirsty.
2. You are hungry than usual but losing weight
Being hungry than usual can point out a common symptom of diabetes: polyphagia or extreme hunger. And although you eat more, you can lose weight for no apparent reason if your blood sugar is too high. “Since your body does not receive energy from the favorite source, glucose, it must turn to muscles and fats,” explains Zanini. “When your body starts to break down muscles and fats for energy, you feel involuntary and unhealthy weight loss.”
In addition to these changes in weight and appetite, you may notice weakness in your muscles and feel more frequent falls, says Dr. Emanuele.
3. You feel constantly tired and tired
Very tired fatigue and sensation are symptoms of unmanaged blood sugar. “In simple terms, when your body does not have enough insulin, sugar remains in our blood rather than entering our cells to be used for energy,” explains Zanini. A frequent urination can cause dehydration, which is another factor contributing to fatigue.
4. You have a blurred vision and frequent headaches
High blood sugar can change the shape of your eye lens, which makes it difficult to concentration correctly and causes a blurred vision. Following these vision changes, you may have trouble working and driving. You can also experience frequent headaches, says Emanuele.
Your vision can come back to normal once your blood sugar is well managed. If you feel eyes related to the eyes, it is important to speak with your health care team for treatment.
5. You develop wounds that heal more slowly than usual
Diabetes causes nerve damage and affects traffic, especially in the legs and lower feet. Nervous lesions can delay healing of wounds because there is not enough blood flow to the area. This may increase your risk of foot ulcers, which can be infected. In serious cases, you may need to have your foot amputated to stop the infection.
Make daily feet checks to detect foot problems from the start. If you notice redness, swelling or wounds, tell your health care team. You may notice that drainage infiltrates your socks or an unpleasant odor if you develop a foot ulcer.
6. You notice tingling and numbness in your hands or feet
Having high blood sugar over time can cause nerve lesions or diabetic neuropathy. This causes symptoms such as tingling, numbness, weakness and pain, and it most often comes in hands, legs and feet.
Some people may experience mild symptoms, while for others, symptoms can be very painful and interfere considerably with daily life. Almost half of people with diabetes have diabetic neuropathy.
7. You develop bulbs, drought or other skin changes
Having diabetes or unsocied diabetes that is not well managed can cause many skin changes. For example, some people may notice many skin labels, excessive dryness, brown spots on the shins, yellow bumps on the eyelids, hard and thickened skin areas or red yellow waxy plates on the lower legs.
Dark and thick areas of soft skin (called acanthosis nigricans) can also form on the back of your neck or hands, armpits, face or other areas. These can be a sign of insulin resistance, a characteristic of type 2 diabetes, known as Zanini.
8. You get yeast infections more often than usual
The culprit of these infections is often a type of yeast (a fungus) called Candida albicans. “The yeast feeds on glucose – and if your blood sugar is high, there is more glucose in the urinary tract,” explains Rahil Bandukwala, Do, an endocronologist at Memorialcare South County Kidney and Endocrine Center in Laguna Hills, California. Men who are not circumcised with high blood sugar have a higher risk of yeast infections.
“We also see [yeast infections] Perform a little more now with patients who take SGLT2 inhibitors, which forces the body to expel more glucose through urine, “said Dr. Bandukwala. Examples of SGLT2 inhibitors include empagliflozine (jardiance) and dapagliflozine (Farxiga).
9. You have swollen or bleeding gums
The gum disease, which causes swollen, red and inflamed gums, is a complication of diabetes. Your saliva contains glucose. And the more he has, the more there is to feed the bacteria that combine with food in your mouth to form the plate and cause a gum disease.
If it is not treated, gum disease can cause teeth, pus and ulcers between gums and pain during chewing. The gum disease can also make diabetes more difficult to manage, causing higher inflammation and blood sugar.
When to check your blood sugar
The frequency you need to monitor your blood sugar is based on a number of factors, especially if you take insulin or oral drugs, to what extent your blood sugar is managed and your age.
“In general, I say to my patients with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is controlled that they do not need to check it every day,” says Bankwala. “If they have a glueometer and they want to check it, I will tell them that they can read a paired once a week, which means a reading on an empty stomach (before eating), then another reading one to two hours after a meal (postprandial).”
If you are looking to avoid the pain associated with standard gluomers and decisions at the time of checking your levels, consider speaking with your doctor of a continuous glucose instructor (CGM). This medical device follows your blood sugar in real time and sends measures to your smartphone or another device. It can also identify the models you can share with your doctor and inform you if your blood sugar is too high or weak.
A reasonable objective for many non -pregnant adults is an A1C level less than 7%, which is an average blood sugar level less than 154 mg / dl. But if you are an older adult, have other complications for health or if you depend on insulin, you can have less rigorous goals. “It becomes really more important to keep [levels] In the same place, “explains Bandukwala.” Keeping A1C between 7.5 and 8.5 can be very reasonable for such a patient. “It is important to speak to your own doctor to establish the blood sugar level that you should target.
The point to take away
Symptoms of high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar include unusual thirst and hunger, fatigue, vision changes, infections, skin changes and nerve lesions in the hands and feet.
These complications will vary considerably from person to person and can develop slowly or quickly.
High long -term high blood sugar can contribute to the complications of diabetes, including vision loss, kidney disease, neuropathy and cardiovascular disease. It is important to treat symptoms of hyperglycemia as well as warning signs.
The management of your blood sugar is crucial. Ask your doctor how often you should monitor your blood sugar and what your target range should be.
Additional report by Diana Rodriguez and Andrea Peirce.