Diabetes Symptoms

Most people just don't know what the symptoms of Diabetes are. What is happening to their bodies that is different than usual. When I came down with Diabetes it was quite sudden. Within 2 weeks significant changes occurred in my body and I did not know what was happening.

The following 8 symptoms are common, my body's reaction was not exactly textbook.

• Excessive thirst and urination - my thirst was unquenchable, I'd drink 1 to 2 gallons daily.
• Feeling very hungry frequently - I was always hungry.
• Feeling very tired - I'd take a nap at 2pm and wake up in the morning.
• Unintentional weight loss - always hungry and eating, I was happy to be losing weight (20 lbs. in 2 weeks) .
• Frequent infections, or wounds that don't heal - I didn't have this problem in the beginning, but cuts and scrapes take much longer to heal today.
• Blurred vision - after 3 weeks of uncontrolled blood sugar my vision degraded and was blurry.
• Numbness or tingling in hands and feet - I've been lucky so far and haven't had this problem in 15 years as a Diabetic.
• Dry, itchy skin - on rare occasion my foot itches, I can't explain it. I do know that it is annoying and still haven't connected it to my Diabetes. Maybe I'm just in denial?

Do you have any of these symptoms, visit your doctor to be tested for diabetes, especially if you are 45 or older. The initial test is simple. In 5 seconds right in front of your eyes your blood will be analyzed by a meter. Many General Practitioners have old or outdated equipment but they should be able to give you a result in 30 seconds.

If you are dealing with someone that is not well educated about diabetes they will tell you that you should have this done while fasting. This is not necessary. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, your numbers fasting may not be much different than your numbers within an hour of eating.

When I was diagnosed 15 years ago, I had been ill for 2 weeks and had fallen asleep while driving home. Thank god for the bumps on the freeway lanes. They did the job of waking me up! I drove to a candy store thinking I was low on sugar and ate a candy bar. The placebo worked and I made a bee line to my Dr.

He said "lets check your blood sugar". I said "does it matter that I've just eaten a candy bar?". He said yes, go to the lab in the morning before you eat. My result came back 2 days later and my fasting number was 325, that's 3 times normal. The test in his office may have come in at 350 or 400 and he would should have known immediate action was necessary!

If you go in and have a sugar reading greater than 120 fasting or on a full stomach you need to dig in with your Dr. and get more information. Have an HBA1C test done. This test gives you a look at the average blood sugar reading your body has over 3-4 months. If you go to an Endocrinologist they may do it in the office (it takes 6 minutes for the meter to provide the result), however your GP will need to send it out as they don't usually carry Diabetic supplies and tests.

The number one recommendation I have is - if you have just been diagnosed with Diabetes...WHATEVER IT TAKES, GO TO AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST ASAP!