Common Diabetes Warning Signs

Ordinarily, most people can tell when they're sick because of the ways various illnesses manifest themselves. If you get a cold, you might cough, have a runny nose or watery eyes, or sneeze a lot. If you have the flu, you were probably clued in by a high fever, aches, chills, and fatigue. Our bodies let us know that something is wrong, and we can then take action to remedy the problem.

But sometimes, the symptoms of serious illness or disease are so subtle or commonplace that people truly have no idea that they're sick. Doctors can't even begin to tell you the number of times patients have said, "But I can't have cancer, I feel fine!" The same holds true for diabetics. Many admit that though they recognize several diabetes warning signs in retrospect, it took them a long time to head to the doctor because they were able to function normally for the most part. These days, with the number of cases in the U.S. on the rise, it's even more important to read through the following warnings to determine if you might be diabetic.

One of the most common diabetes warning signs is frequent urination. This has to do with your body not being able to regulate blood sugar levels, which in turn causes your kidneys to work overtime to clean your system. The result is an increase in the number of trips to the toilet. Frequent urination might then lead to dehydration, causing you to feel thirstier than usual. So what happens? You drink more fluids -- and end up hitting the restroom even more. If this has been happening to you, it would probably be a good idea to visit a doctor to make sure everything is ok.

Other diabetes warning signs that you should be aware of are sudden weight loss or increased appetite. Both of these diabetes warning signs are also connected with blood sugar levels. As mentioned above, your kidneys clean your system, causing excess glucose to pass out through urine. Since this glucose is not being stored in your body, as it usually would be, the result is a decrease in your caloric intake, which can lead to effortless weight loss. At the same time, since your body is unable to process glucose efficiently, you might feel hungrier more often than you used to.

Another of the diabetes warning signs that health care professionals tell us to watch out for is blurry vision. This again has to do with blood sugar levels, and the problem could get progressively worse if left untreated for a lengthy period of time.

There are a few more diabetes warning signs, such as tingling hands and feet or frequent infections, but the ones listed here are the biggies. If you experience any of these symptoms, be sure to schedule an appointment with your physician immediately. There's just no sense in taking chances with your health.