5 Signs To Check If You Are A Prediabetic
Pre-diabetes– a condition that lurks like a ghost in the
corner and traps you the moment it views you as a perfect host. Okay, yes
that’s not the technical definition of it but it could be. Pre-diabetes is a
serious condition in which your blood sugar levels go through a dramatic rise
but not enough to classify as diabetes.
The younger brother of the
silent killer, diabetes, pre-diabetes is a step ahead in the
sense that it’s almost impossible to spot. According to the statistics released
by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 90% of pre-diabetes
patients don’t even know that they have this condition!
Wondering
if you are one of them?
You could be. The thing is that
despite being difficult to detect, it still displays certain tell-tale signs
that almost give it away.
Here are the red flags of
pre-diabetes that you should pay careful attention to :
1.
Your ancestral family tree has diabetes written all over it
According to researchers,
there’s a particular group of people who are more likely to suffer from
pre-diabetes. The group that has a family history of type 2 diabetes. So if
your father, your grandfather, your great-grandfather and the several fathers
that come before were patients with diabetes, you’ll probably get pre-diabetes
too!
2.
Friends of diabetes have taken you for a ride
Diabetes is not a standalone
disease. When it decides to hit your body, it brings its friends, namely other
diseases, along with it. So if you don’t suffer from diabetes yet but have
other associated conditions such as obesity, heart
problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and/or polycystic ovary
disease(PCOD), you could be suffering from pre-diabetes as well.
3.
Classic symptoms of diabetes plague you
As we said before, pre-diabetes
is hard to detect and even though every 1 in 3 people has them (according to
CDC), doctors say that they may not experience any symptoms whatsoever. While
that may be the general rule, exceptions exist of course. In certain cases, you
may start noticing the classic symptoms of diabetes, which also count as
symptoms of pre-diabetes. These include increased thirst, unexplainable
fatigue, an increase in the frequency of urination and
more.
4.
Strange patches develop on your skin
Have the number of spots
increased than the usual appeared on your skin? Are they dark and creased?
Watch out for them as these could mean pre-diabetes. According to medical
experts, individuals with pre-diabetes could suffer from a skin condition known
as acanthosis nigaricans, in which thick, dark patches develop
either on the neck, elbows, armpits, knuckles or behind the knees.
5.
Being the night owl is the norm
That is not to say you were
always like this, but if for no apparent reason, you find yourself staying
awake more than sleeping every night (sleeping less than 6 hours that
is), you could be in the throes of pre-diabetes. Researchers believe this
happens because of the connection between hormones and sleep impairment.
Pre-diabetes can easily fly under the radar, but if
you keep your eyes peeled for these signs, you could know for sure if you’re
suffering from this serious disease.
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