Diabetes: symptoms not to be underestimated
Diabetes can initially occur without obvious symptoms, so it may be difficult to identify the disease in the absence of specific tests. Patients often discover with a simple blood sugar check-up that they are suffering from this particular type of chronic disease when it has been present in their body for years.
According to data reported by the SID – Italian Society of Diabetology , today in Italy there are about 3 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes and alongside these it is estimated that another million and a half are affected without knowing it.
The development of diabetes within our body is in fact very slow, so the body takes a long time to show the symptoms related to the disease. This explains why the diagnosis of diabetes , especially in old age, occurs casually through routine laboratory tests.
However, contrary to current opinion, high blood sugar levels are not the only symptom and above all they are not the only symptom of diabetes. In fact, the body gives precise signals , which indicate the urgency to consult a specialist doctor. Let’s see which ones.
The clinical signs of diabetes
Hyperglycemia occurs when the blood glucose concentration is too high, causing damage to organs such as the kidneys, eyes and heart.
To identify blood sugar levels, we start with simple blood and urine tests. The clinical signs detected by laboratory tests are:
- fasting hyperglycemia , i.e. the presence of high blood values in a fasting state
- glycosuria , or the presence of glucose in the urine .
The blood glucose curve evaluates the change in blood glucose from the fasting value and the value after the intake of a known amount of glucose.
The glycated or glycosated hemoglobin test is used above all by patients and can help to diagnose or even in patients with an already established diagnosis to verify the effectiveness of the drug treatment in maintaining low blood sugar levels.
In addition to these tests, however, there are some small signals that the body sends us in the event that the glycemic value is altered.
Type 1 diabetes: symptoms not to be underestimated
To make an early diagnosis of diabetes it is essential to listen to our body and, in particular, the signals it sends us.
Among the most common symptoms of type 1 diabetes , the most common in younger age groups such as childhood and adolescence, we can identify:
- Polyuria : an increase in urine volume and a more frequent need to urinate
- Polydipsia : strong thirst and frequent need to drink
- The paradoxical polyphagia : increased appetite, followed by unjustified weight loss
- Chronic Fatigue : Continuous fatigue accompanied by blurred vision
- Skin irritations and infections : itching, dryness, frequent skin infections or dehydration.
In particular, it is noted that polyuria is the most frequent reported symptom in young subjects .
Type 2 diabetes: symptoms
In the case of type 2 diabetes , which occurs when the pancreas produces insulin but not enough insulin for the body to use properly, symptoms may vary slightly. Usually this type of diabetes develops at an older age, over 40 years.
The symptoms are the same as those listed for type 1 diabetes, but sometimes the following can be added:
- Abdominal pain: feeling of discomfort in the abdominal cavity, i.e. in the area between the end of the pelvis and the beginning of the ribs
- Frequent headaches: chronic headache that leads to migraine
- The difficulty of wound healing
- Paresthesia : or tingling of hands and feet
In patients with type 2 diabetes, the symptom of paradoxical polyphagia (frequent hunger and increased appetite) is not found, which instead is associated only with younger subjects, with type 1 diabetes.
How to prevent hyperglycemia
Once diagnosed, diabetes is a disease from which there is no turning back. However it is possible to prevent hyperglycemia, therefore the high concentration of glucose in the blood, through some healthy habits to apply to our daily lives.
Keeping on the move and following a balanced diet are essential prerequisites for reducing the risk of diabetes. A thirty-minute daily walk can reduce the risk of diabetes by 60% , when combined with a diet low in saturated fat. These small precautions are also useful for patients who have already developed the pathology: practicing frequent physical exercise, avoiding sweets and sugars or consuming them in small doses are indispensable allies, obviously combined with medical visits and frequent checks by a diabetes specialist.
She defines herself as curious by nature. In 2006 she graduated with honors in Biotechnology at the Sapienza University of Rome. Between 2005 and 2009, she carried out a university internship and research activity in the field of tumor immunotherapy. She is a co-author of three scientific publications. Since 2007 you have associated your passion for science with that for the web, starting the management of the FitnessEquilibrium.com project.