Updated on May 1, 2024.
Millions of people in the United States have type 2 diabetes. Many people with diabetes do not know that they have it. This is a lasting health condition that affects how the body uses food for energy. Millions more people have prediabetes. This means they do not have diabetes yet. But they are very likely to develop it in the future. Most people with prediabetes do not know they have it.
The food you eat is broken down by the body. Some of this food is turned into sugar. Sugar is also known as glucose. This sugar enters your blood. The body moves it from the blood into cells where it can be used as energy. Diabetes occurs when too much sugar builds up in the blood. It has trouble getting into cells. Having too much sugar in your blood can cause damage throughout your body.
Treating diabetes early can help prevent this damage. Spotting early signs of the disease can help. Some of the first symptoms people have, include:
- Having to pee more often. Diabetes makes the body produce more urine, or pee. This makes you need to go to the bathroom more than usual.
- Feeling very thirsty. Peeing more often makes you lose more water from your body. This can make you extra thirsty.
- Being hungrier. The cells that make up your body need sugar to function. If they are not getting sugar, they will send out a signal that they need some. This signal will increase your hunger to try and get you to eat more food. This will happen even though you have a lot of sugar in your blood. This is because the sugar in your blood has trouble getting into your cells so it can be used for energy.
- Losing weight without trying. When cells do not get the sugar they need for energy they may need to burn fat and muscle to function. This could cause some people to lose weight. Peeing more can also cause you to lose weight. This is because your body is losing more water.
- Blurry vision. Extra sugar in the blood can lead to serious eye problems, including blurry vision or loss of vision.
- Weakness and feeling very tired. If you are peeing more and losing extra water, you may feel weak or tired. This can also happen if your cells are not getting the sugar they need for energy.
Make an appointment to see a healthcare provider (HCP) if you have any of these symptoms. It is important to prevent or treating diabetes as soon as possible. This can help avoid serious long-term health problems.
