Diabetes is one of the commonest non-communicable diseases worldwide. According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF), nearly 1 in 10 adults are living with diabetes. Also, 3 in 4 diabetic patients are from middle- and low-income countries (1).
If you are having diabetes, it is very important to maintain your blood sugar levels. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels will lead to various health implications such as increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, increase risk of stroke, kidney disease, neuropathy, poor vision, poor wound healing, immunodeficiency, and many more. So, to prevent these health problems you need to be more aware of your blood sugar levels.
Maintaining your blood sugar levels involve lifestyle modifications such as dietary control, regular exercise, avoiding smoking, and limiting consumption of alcohol.
If your diabetes is not controlled by the above, medications come into play. There are several classes of medications that work in different ways to control your blood sugar levels. With lifestyle modifications and medications, regular monitoring of your blood sugar levels is essential.
If your blood sugar levels are not under control, it is best advisable to see your healthcare provider to receive the maximum outcome. And here are 6 signs that might show your blood sugar levels are not under control.
1. You are losing weight
Unexplained weight loss can be due to a number of problems. If you have chronic health problems; cancer, chronic diarrhea, HIV, malnutrition, and hyperthyroidism, loss of weight is a common feature. Weight loss is also a common finding in diabetes.
What happens is insufficient insulin prevents transporting glucose in the blood into the cells. When this occurs, the body starts burning fat and muscles to produce energy leading to weight loss (2).
2. You feel tired more than ever
We all feel tired at the end of the day of work. That’s due to the use of energy in our day-to-day activities. fatigue is a common feature of diabetes. Fatigue may be the presenting symptom for some and maybe a part of many symptoms for some.
There is no proven fact for the onset of fatigue in diabetes patients, but several theories have suggested that reduced insulin levels increase the body’s metabolism causing a reduction of ATP levels. ATP is a vital component in the body that is needed for energy storage. Reduced ATP levels increase the feeling of tiredness(3).
3. You are thirstier than ever
Thirst is a common problem in patients with diabetes. It is associated with increased urination. You can get thirsty if you are dehydrated. If you don’t drink enough water, you will get dehydrated. And if you have a high salt-containing food you will have a reduced amount of water in your body. If you sweat more often you can easily get dehydrated.
When you have high blood sugar levels, your body tries to remove it through the kidneys. To remove excess sugar your body will need more water. Because of that your body water content will reduce leading to dehydration(4).
4. You pass more and more urine
Passing more urine is a common finding with uncontrolled blood sugar in diabetes. It is strongly associated with increased thirst. As mentioned previously, due to the high amount of blood sugar, the body tries to remove it by increasing urine amount and frequency.
Passing urine often can be annoying and it can affect your lifestyle in a serious way. So it is important to drink water regularly to prevent getting dehydrated.
5. You get recurrent infections
If you have high blood sugar for a long period, you are prone to get recurrent infections. There are several reasons for patients with high blood sugar levels to get recurrent infections.
One reason is that long-term diabetes can lead to reduced immunity. Also, high sugar in the blood is a good nutrient medium for bacteria and fungi. And also, you are more prone to injuries if you have diabetic foot disease.
Common infections that are encountered are urinary tract infections (UTI), wound infections, and fungal infections such as candidiasis(5).
6. You get a tingling sensation of hands and feet
With long-term diabetes, there is a risk of your nerves getting damaged. It is known as diabetic neuropathy. With diabetes, the blood supply to your nerves get affected which will eventually lead to neuronal damage. The damage starts from the distal end to the proximal.
At first, there will be numbness and tingling sensation of the hands and feet which will gradually ascend upwards. This pattern is known as glove and stocking-type sensory loss. To prevent neuronal damage blood sugar control is very important.
Summary
Diabetes is one of the commonest non-communicable diseases encountered worldwide. Poor control of blood sugar will result in damage to almost all the systems in the body. When your blood sugar levels are not controlled, it is evident by a set of signs and symptoms. It is very important to maintain your blood sugar level at an optimal level to prevent complications.
Resources
- IDF Diabetes Atlas | Tenth Edition. (n.d.-b). Copyright © IDF Diabetes Atlas 2023. All Rights Reserved. https://diabetesatlas.org/
- Hardy, K. (2023). Unexplained Weight Loss. Diabetes. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/symptoms/unexplained-weight-loss.html
- Kalra, S., & Sahay, R. (2018). Diabetes Fatigue Syndrome. Diabetes therapy : research, treatment and education of diabetes and related disorders, 9(4), 1421–1429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-018-0453-x
- Iftikhar, N., MD. (2022, June 20). Diabetes Thirst: The Reason You Feel So Parched. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/diabetes-thirst#causes
- APIC. (2016, June 27). Diabetes, infections, and you – APIC. https://apic.org/monthly_alerts/diabetes-infections-and-you/#:~:text=Why%20are%20people%20with%20diabetes,increases%20the%20chance%20for%20infection.
