Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

Most early symptoms of diabetes emerge from abnormal levels of glucose — sugar in your blood. Some warning signs are too mild that noticing them can be difficult, which is especially true for Type 2 diabetes. Some individuals don’t find out until they start experiencing problems caused by long-term damage.

The symptoms are often experienced quickly with Type 1 diabetes, in a matter of a few weeks (or days) — they’re far more severe as well.

Here, our expert phlebotomists in VA discuss some early signs and symptoms of diabetes:

Sweet-smelling or fruity breath

When your body is eliminating excess sugar, it can make your breath smell sweet due to high ketones.

Changes in eyesight

Vision changes can be a precursor to diabetic eye disease. Poorly managed or untreated diabetes can lead to vision-related problems.

Numbness or pain in extremities

Higher levels of fat and high blood sugar can cause nerve damage in diabetic patients. This nerve damage is also referred to as diabetic neuropathy. You might notice tingling in your feet and hands. Never damage can also affect your bladder or other internal organs.

Yeast infections

Yeast loves sugar. When a lot of glucose is circulating in your body, yeast may overgrow.

Slow-healing cuts

Your blood vessels can become stiff as a result of high blood sugar levels, making it harder for your blood to move around your body. Due to bad circulation, sores or little scratches take more time to heal.

You may notice an unexplained, sudden weight loss or an unusual increase in your appetite because your body won’t be able to get sufficient energy from processing the sugar in the food that you’re eating.

Weakness or fatigue

Sleepiness, lethargy, and extreme weakness can mean your blood sugar isn’t normal. This can lead to dizziness — or even fainting — if your blood sugar becomes dangerously low or high.

Some people become so weak that they end up losing consciousness and aren’t able to become conscious again. This is often referred to as diabetic coma — a life-threatening complication.

Dry skin or dry mouth

Dehydration can make your skin feel itchy and tight, and make your mouth feel like a desert.

Frequent urination

If you’re going to the bathroom more frequently, it means your kidneys are actively eliminating excess sugar from your blood.

Extreme thirst

When you’re using the restroom every now and then, you lose a lot of water. This may cause dehydration, triggering feelings of excessive thirst, which will force you to drink more fluids, and therefore, use the bathroom more.

Phlebotomy On Wheels offers residential and commercial mobile lab services in VA

Phlebotomy On Wheels understands that quality of service is the most important consideration for a phlebotomist, and this is where we invest most of our efforts. As a leading mobile lab service provider in VA, we have a team of experts who excel in offering highly effective patient care.

Reach out to us now for more information on our mobile laboratory services in Maryland!