When you have diabetes, you don’t have enough insulin, so your blood sugar gets too high. So, the signs of diabetes that aren’t treated are actually signs of high blood sugar. The most common signs of high blood sugar are thirst and going to the bathroom often, but there are other signs as well. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have the same kinds of symptoms.
The following symptoms are described in more detail in this article:
- Thirst and frequent urination
- Bedwetting
- Weight loss, fatigue and lethargy
- Changed vision
- Infections
- Poor wound healing
- Changed sensation in toes and feet
- Acid poisoning
Thirst and frequent urination
Let’s start with the two most common signs. For the sugar to get into the cells, the body needs insulin. If you don’t have insulin or it doesn’t work right, your blood sugar will be high and you will pee out a lot of sugar. The sugary urine will pull in more water. This makes you pee a lot, which causes your body to lose water and makes you feel very thirsty.
Bedwetting
This is primarily relevant for children. In some children, frequent urination and increased fluid intake can lead to new bedwetting, i.e. they start urinating in the bed at night. As an adult, your night’s sleep can be disturbed by the fact that you constantly have to get up to flush the toilet.
Weight loss, tiredness, and lethargic
Even though you feel hungry and eat, you will lose a lot of calories through your urine and be able to lose weight. Since your body can’t use the sugar in your blood, you’ll feel tired, sick, and maybe even sick and sick.
Changed vision
Over time, having high blood sugar can make it hard to see, most likely by making you nearsighted. This will return to normal as the disease is treated, but if you have had high blood sugar for a long time, it may take a long time.
Infections
When you have high blood sugar, you are more likely to get sick. This can show up as gingivitis, skin infections, or infections in the ear, nose, and throat area. Along with fungal infections in the crotch, the urinary tract and kidneys will also be more likely to get sick. This is because your normal flora is upset by the sugary urine.
Changed sensation in toes and feet
High blood sugar can hurt nerves, especially in the legs, but it can also hurt nerves in other parts of the body. This makes the nerves sick, which is called neuropathy. Over time, having high blood sugar can cause different kinds of neuropathy, which show up in different ways. This kind of nerve disease can cause both numbness and pain.
Poor wound healing
High blood sugar that builds up over time is frequently the cause of ulcers that heal slowly or not at all. Having enough nutrients in the blood is important for wound healing, among other things. High blood sugar can cut off blood flow, so wounds will take a long time to heal. If you have less feeling in your feet, you are also more likely to get ulcers. You will also have a greater chance of bacteria getting into your wounds.
Acid poisoning – ketoacidosis
Acid poisoning or ketoacidosis is a very bad sign of not having enough insulin. This happens when the body’s cells don’t have enough sugar to burn, so they start breaking down fatty acids to use as fuel. Ketones are a byproduct of this process, and they build up in the blood. Your breath smells different because of the ketones. It smells a bit like nail polish remover. In the worst case, the condition could kill the person if it is not treated.
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