How to know if you have it?

‘Diabetes’ the word is heard more often than before. Friends, family, colleagues, or anyone we know seems to be developing the condition. Men, women, young and the aged; no one seems to be immune. Then the question arises, am I prone and how to identify the signs of diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease in which the blood glucose commonly known as ‘blood sugar’ is higher than normal. Insulin production is insufficient for the bodily needs. As a result glucose cannot enter cells from blood.

Look for these signs
Polyurea: If one is passing large volumes of urine, for instance more than about three litres in a day, one has to suspect diabetes amongst other health ailments. As blood rich in glucose passes through kidneys, the blood draws more water along with it and results in excess urine production.

For the same reasons, waking up several times at night time to pass urine, called as Nocturia is well described as a presenting symptom in diabetes. ‘Increased Thirst’ is a common symptom with which many diabetics present to the physician and this is due to loss of water from the body in the form of excess urine.

Weight loss, not explained by other reasons, may sometimes point towards underlying diabetes. Unexplained tiredness could be due to it as well. Fungal infections like Candida, commonly known as Thrush, is not an uncommon presenting feature in the disease, more so in women.

While this is so, some diabetics present with the complications like heart problems, loss of sensation in feet due to damage to nerves, blurred vision, cataracts at a younger age and impaired kidney function.

It is pertinent to state that some hitherto undiagnosed diabetics like the Type1 may present to doctors extremely unwell, or even in a comatose state with very high blood glucose readings as there is little or no Insulin left in their bodies.

This type of diabetes is much common in children and youngsters although adults are not completely spared. The symptoms in this variety are rather more severe and develop within a short span of time, over days to weeks and it is of paramount importance to identify this early so as to treat the condition.

Risk factors to look for
Having a first-degree relative, parent or sibling with diabetes makes a person prone to the disease, emphasising the role of genes in its development. South-East Asians are at higher risk of developing it than their Caucasian counterparts due to their genetic makeup.

Being overweight predispose a person to risk of diabetes. Sedentary lifestyle with desktop jobs, little exercise and unhealthy diets, all these increase the risk. If one were to have a slightly elevated glucose level that is not yet in the ‘diabetes range’ but not in the ‘normal range’ either, it is called Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Pre-Diabetes and such people are at higher risk of developing the disease.

Women with higher than normal blood sugar detected first time during pregnancy, known as Gestational Diabetes are at higher risk of developing diabetes during their life time. Similarly, women with a health condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome are at higher risk for Diabetes as well. (The author is Consultant- Endocrinologist at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad)