Diabetes is a medical condition characterized by abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood. An estimated 24 million people in the United States have diabetes, based upon information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Early symptoms of diabetes can be subtle and vary among affected individuals. Contact your doctor for further evaluation and care if you develop early symptoms of diabetes.
Increased Urination
One of the most common early symptoms of diabetes is increased urinary frequency and volume. If you have abnormally high levels of sugar in your blood, your kidneys will filter excess sugar out of your blood and excrete this waste as urine. Consistently high blood sugar levels cause your kidneys to continually flush this waste from your body by increasing the amount of fluid your body excretes.
Increased Thirst
Increased urination due to high blood sugar levels causes your body to excrete excess amounts of fluid. This excess fluid loss must be replenished to allow your body to stay hydrated. To ensure that you remain hydrated, your body will encourage you to consume more fluids by increasing your thirst.
Constant Hunger
Excess sugar in the blood cannot be effectively utilized as energy by your cells. This energy deficiency causes your body to crave nutrients and stimulates a hunger response. If you experience this early symptom of diabetes, you can experience constant sensations of hunger---even if you have recently eaten a meal or snack.
Weight Loss
If your body is unable to use sugar as energy to fuel your cells and tissues, it will begin to burn up stored muscle or fat cells to provide needed energy. This can cause significant and unintended weight loss to occur as an early symptom in people who have diabetes.
Dry Skin
Decreased fluid levels in your body due to increased urination can cause your skin to become dry as an early symptom of diabetes. You can notice that your skin appears red, irritated or flaky and begins to itch more frequently than usual.
Fatigue
If your body is unable to utilize sugar as a form of energy to support the normal functions of your cells and tissues due to diabetes, you can experience symptoms of excessive fatigue and tiredness. Such early symptoms of diabetes can make it difficult for you to concentrate while completing tasks associated with work or school.
Abnormal Skin Sensations
You can experience abnormal skin sensations, such as numbness or tingling, as early symptoms of diabetes, health professionals at HHS explain. Initially, these sensations can develop within your hands or feet and may have a negative impact on motor coordination.
Blurred Vision
If you have high levels of sugar in your blood, you can develop vision difficulties as an early symptom of diabetes. Your body can pull fluid from your eyes in an effort to flush excess sugar from your body. This can cause you to experience blurred or double vision, which can lead to additional symptoms, such as dizziness or headache.
