Today, diabetes isn’t just a medical term; it's a part of everyday conversation. At family dinners or friendly get-togethers, someone may say, “Oh, I can’t have that, I’m diabetic.”
But how did this health condition become a part of your lives?
The truth is, it often starts with small daily choices:
- Reaching for that extra spoonful of sugar
- Skipping your walk, or spending hours sitting still
- Eating more than your body burns
- Relying on processed foods can quietly raise your risk
Read Also: How Diabetes Impacts Your Heart: Prevention Tips
How Diabetes Became a Part of Your Daily Life: A Simple Explanation
Know this before to avoid confusion, there are 2 types of diabetes: Type I and Type II diabetes.- Type I diabetes: It is mostly a genetic condition and requires lifelong treatment with insulin. There is little to no insulin (a hormone that helps your body use sugar).
- Type II diabetes: It is mostly a lifestyle condition that can be managed with good daily habits. Insulin is inefficient in its work.
There is a simple explanation of how diabetes becomes part of your daily life.
Earlier, your ancestors ate wholesome calories along with fiber-rich foods, plenty of protein, probiotics, and prebiotics. They walked miles daily, burning what they consumed.
This helped them build strong muscle mass, and as you know, muscles play a key role in keeping blood sugar in check.
Now, things have changed. Many of you sit for long hours, often due to desk jobs, eat more processed foods, consume extra calories, burn less energy, and get less protein. This results in lower muscle mass and lowers your body’s ability to use sugar efficiently.
On top of that, the hormone insulin, which helps manage your sugar, is overworked (just like you, pardon the pun) because of frequent overeating. If this continues, it can eventually lead to issues like blurred vision or recurrent infections in severe cases.
We’re not here to scare you but to protect you. The first step is learning the early signs and symptoms of diabetes.
Read Also: Heart-Healthy Diet: 8 Essential Steps to Prevent Heart Disease
Early Warning Signs of Diabetes: Do Not Ignore Them!
If you love your body, keep an eye on the following 7 diabetes symptoms to keep it at bay:1. Feeling Thirsty
If you are drinking as per your body’s requirement, but again feel thirsty. This means your body is losing water to flush out that extra sugar. This can be a sign of high sugar levels in your body.2. Urinating Frequently
If you are visiting the bathroom to pee more frequently. This means your kidneys have taken the burden to get rid of extra sugar. This can be an indication of an unwanted sugar level in your body.3. Extreme Unwanted Hunger
If you are feeling hungry right after eating a meal. This means your body is having trouble using energy from the food you eat because of insulin inefficiency. It can indicate that there is a high level of unutilized sugar/glucose in your bloodstream.4. Unexplained Fatigue/Tiredness
If you slept well at night, you are still low on energy and tired all the time. This means your body cannot utilize the required energy from the food you eat.5. Blurred Vision
If you are experiencing blurriness while looking at things. This means high sugar levels are affecting the fluid (protect and nourish) in your eyes and harming the tiny blood vessels (bring nutrients and oxygen).6. Skin and Mouth Dryness
You may notice that your mouth and skin might feel unusually dry or itchy. This is because your body is losing fluids to flush out extra sugar while peeing frequently.7. Slow Healing of Cut/Sore
If you notice cuts, wounds, or infections on your body taking a long time to heal. This means high sugar levels have taken a toll on the body’s healing process and are slowing it down. This can also put you at risk of recurrent infections due to diabetes.Note: If you experience some of these signs, it does not mean that you definitely have diabetes. But these are the indications that you must visit a qualified and experienced doctor at a reputable hospital like Asianheart.
But, what if you ignore these signs, well it may cause you trouble.
Read Also: Diet Chart for Diabetic Patient in India
What Happens When You Ignore Early Warning Signs of Diabetes
One may face the following health conditions in case of ignorance or if the diabetes symptoms remain undiagnosed:- Increase risk for heart attacks and strokes
- Vision loss due to damage to tiny blood vessels
- Damage to the kidneys
- Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands or feet due to nerve damage
- Increase risk of skin infections
- Ulcers can turn serious
- Increase in dental problems, including gum infections
Conclusion
The early signs/symptoms of diabetes are your body’s way of telling that something is not right with your body. They are like the red light signal that it's time to go back to basics, such as:- Eat a healthy diet (less refined carbohydrates like white bread, more complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, whole grains)
- Maintain a healthy weight (lose especially the belly bad that increases insulin resistance)
- Say “YES” to physical activity (at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise like walking, swimming, or any form of exercise)
- “NO” to sugary drinks (instead, drink plain, simple water or coconut water)
- “Hello to Professional Advice” (make a wise decision to consult a professional doctor only from a trusted and reputable hospital, such as Asianheart)
“Adopt habits that help your body heal and function well, don’t harm it”.
