Diabetes is the fastest growing epidemic in the world. The number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries. In Nigeria, About 7 million people are still living with diabetes, while more than 1.56 million cases of diabetes were recorded in 2015. Also, 40,815 deaths in adults due to diabetes were recorded (WHO,IDF).
The complications of diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputation. For example, rates of lower limb amputation are 10 to 20 times higher for people with diabetes. below are 10 common symptoms of diabetes you should watch out for.

Polyuria
Polyuria is defined as the frequent passage of large volumes of urine – more than 3 litres a day compared to the normal daily urine output in adults of about one to two litres. Polyuria is urine output of > 3 L/day; it must be distinguished from urinary frequency, which is the need to urinate many times during the day or night but in normal or less-than-normal volumes. It is one of the main symptoms of diabetes (both type 1 and type 2 diabetes) and can lead to severe dehydration, which if left untreated can affect kidney function.


Polydipsia
Polydipsia is the term given to excessive thirst and is one of the initial symptoms of diabetes. It is also usually accompanied by temporary or prolonged dryness of the mouth. However, if you feel thirsty all the time or your thirst is stronger than usual and continues even after you drink, it can be a sign that not all is well inside your body.

Polyphagia
Polyphagia is the medical term used to describe excessive hunger or increased appetite and is one of the 3 main signs of diabetes. An increase in hunger is usually a response to normal things such as intensive exercise or other strenuous activity, but polyphagia can also be the result of more severe issues such as depression or stress. Also known as hyperphagia, it is one of the three main symptoms of diabetes.

Fatigue
In the medical world, fatigue is extreme tiredness and exhaustion that doesn’t disappear with rest or sleep and this can be a telling symptom of diabetes. Most adults require 6-8 hours of sleep. With diabetes, fatigue is caused by a number of factors, including:
1. High blood sugar levels, either from a lack of the insulin horomone or from insulin resistance, can affect the body’s ability to get glucose from the blood into cells to meet our energy needs
2. People on stronger diabetes medication such as insulin, may also experience fatigue as a symptom of low blood glucose levels.

Dizziness
Dizziness is an episode of unsteadiness and unbalance as a result of something affecting the brain or ears. Because diabetes is such a diverse disease with many complications, it can cause dizziness in many ways by affecting different parts of the body. However, dizziness can also be a symptom of many things other than diabetes. So if you are experiencing recurrent dizzy spells, you should contact your doctor who will be able to diagnose the cause.

Unexplained Weight Loss
Unexplained weight loss is the term used to describe a decrease in body weight that occurs unintentionally and can be a warning sign of diabetes. Losing or gaining a few pounds here and there is normal, but unexplained weight loss that is significant (10 lbs/4.5kg or more or over 5% of your body weight) or persistent may signal an underlying medical condition.

Blurred Vision
One of the common signs of diabetes mellitus is blurred vision, which refers to the loss of sharpness of vision and the inability to see fine details. Blurred vision can affect one eye (unilateral blurred vision) or both (bilateral blurred vision) eyes, and can occur often or rarely. Regardless of how often it occurs, it should never go untreated as it could be an indicator of another, more serious eye problem.

Slow Healing Wound
In some cases, a slow healing wound could signal an underlying medical condition such as diabetes. Wounds or sores that take more than a few weeks to heal might be infected and require medical treatment, and often indicate an underlying disease such as diabetes.

Genital Itching
Genital itching in either sex is an irritating problem that can simply be caused by allergies and skin irritations, or by more serious disorders and diseases such as diabetes. However, other causes of the condition may be more difficult to treat or may require more intensive treatment and could ultimately lead to serious complications.

Nausea
Both nausea and vomiting can be a sign of a number of underlying health conditions, including diabetes. Most, if not all of us will be familiar with the feeling of nausea, which is basically the feeling of needing to be sick, felt in the stomach area.

Does any strike you as a surprise? You can also ask any question below.

Just to mention that the list is not exhaustive. There are other Diabetes symptoms covering
Type 1 diabetes symptoms
Type 2 diabetes symptoms
Diabetes symptoms in men
Diabetes symptoms in women
Blood sugar symptoms

Nice piece

WebclickNG:
Nice piece

Thanks. Good to know.

That is informative. By the way, I can help with Diabetes treatment for anyone affected.

Source please

Great post you share there. To think of, I experience 2 of the symptoms there. I think I need a body check up.