According to the charity Diabetes UK: “More people than ever have diabetes. More people than ever are at risk of type 2 diabetes.” Although diabetes can be life-threatening, many people do not even realise they have the condition in its early stages.
Navin Khosla, medical writer at NiceRx has commented on the hidden signs of diabetes, said: “Over 400 million people have diabetes around the world which goes to show how common the health issue is and on top of this figure, there is a large number of the world’s population who are suffering from diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed.”
However, some people may not instantly recognise some of the early signs or associate them with diabetes.
According to the health experts at NiceRx, there are “five hidden symptoms which could indicate you’re showing the early signs of the health issue”.
Hunger
According to Navin: “Those suffering from diabetes often find themselves feeling hungry as the food they eat doesn’t provide them with an adequate amount of energy due to the body not being able to move enough glucose from the bloodstream to the body’s cells.”
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Tiredness
Diabetes can have an impact on a person’s energy levels due to an insufficient amount of sugar moving from the bloodstream to the body’s cells.
The experts at NiceRx explained that as soon as the body’s energy levels drop, it will inevitably cause tiredness.
This is “something to keep in mind”, according to Navin.
Numbness in the hands and feet
One side effect of high blood sugar is that it can impact blood circulation within the body.
Navin said: “If someone has type 2 diabetes, then this can result in pain and numbness in the hands and feet or a tingling sensation.”
How to reduce your risk of diabetes
Although type 1 diabetes is not necessarily to do with diet or lifestyle, type 2 diabetes can be controlled through some changes to exercise or food intake.
Navin explained: “There are several symptoms which could indicate a person is suffering from diabetes including fatigue, hunger and numbness in the hands and feet and although diabetes does affect millions of people around the world, there are a number of steps we can all take to reduce the risks.
“In order to reduce your chances of being diagnosed with diabetes, it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle as much as possible.
“Exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet and losing weight if necessary can all have a big impact on reducing the risks but if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned, it’s important to seek advice from a doctor and they can investigate and prescribe you the correct medication if needed.”