Dr Geeta Aurangabadkar – who sits on the board for the international journal of diabetes and endocrinology – explained the condition in great detail, and provided her expert advice. “Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose level is abnormally high,” she began. “Blood glucose from the food we eat is our main energy source. The pancreas, with the help of the hormone insulin, helps glucose get absorbed by cells for energy.
“The spike in blood sugar levels make you thirsty and often water cannot quench your thirst,” said Dr Aurangabadkar.
It’s also fairly likely that a person experiencing such symptoms might feel hungry more often too.
“Intense hunger can be an early warning sign of diabetes,” Dr Aurangabadkar confirmed.
“Your body uses the glucose in your blood to feed your cells,” she pointed out.
“When this system is broken, your cells can’t absorb the required energy. Your body sends hunger signals and you need to eat more food.”
Consistently high blood sugar can damage the nerves, which can lead to a tingling or numb sensation in the fingers, toes, hands, and feet.
Dr Aurangabadkar stated that this symptom – known as diabetic neuropathy – “usually occurs after many years of living with diabetes”.
However, for some people, it could be the first warning sign that they notice.
Type 2 diabetes can also lead to slow-healing wounds, as high blood sugar restricts blood flow throughout the body.
“It delays the circulation of oxygen and nutrients to the sites of injury, paving way for infections,” the doctor clarified.
High blood sugar can also lead to blurred vision, “dark, velvety discolouration in the folds of your skin”, and a dry mouth.
Other indications might include itchy skin and yeast infections between the fingers and toes, around the genital areas, or under the breasts.