Get your blood sugar tested if you have any of the symptoms of diabetes. If you have any of the following diabetes symptoms, see your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested :
Urinate (pee) a lot, often at night Are very thirsty Lose weight without trying Are very hungry Have blurry vision Have numb or tingling hands or feet Feel very tired Have very dry skin Have sores that heal slowly Have more infections than usual
What is a symptom of untreated diabetes?
Complications – Type 2 diabetes affects many major organs, including your heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Also, factors that increase the risk of diabetes are risk factors for other serious chronic diseases. Managing diabetes and controlling your blood sugar can lower your risk for these complications or coexisting conditions (comorbidities).
Heart and blood vessel disease. Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and narrowing of blood vessels (atherosclerosis). Nerve damage (neuropathy) in limbs. High blood sugar over time can damage or destroy nerves, resulting in tingling, numbness, burning, pain or eventual loss of feeling that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. Other nerve damage. Damage to nerves of the heart can contribute to irregular heart rhythms. Nerve damage in the digestive system can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. For men, nerve damage may cause erectile dysfunction. Kidney disease. Diabetes may lead to chronic kidney disease or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Eye damage. Diabetes increases the risk of serious eye diseases, such as cataracts and glaucoma, and may damage the blood vessels of the retina, potentially leading to blindness. Skin conditions. Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections. Slow healing. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections, which may heal poorly. Severe damage might require toe, foot or leg amputation. Hearing impairment. Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes. Sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is common in people living with type 2 diabetes. Obesity may be the main contributing factor to both conditions. It’s not clear whether treating sleep apnea improves blood sugar control. Dementia. Type 2 diabetes seems to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders that cause dementia. Poor control of blood sugar levels is linked to more-rapid decline in memory and other thinking skills.
Am I diabetic and don’t know it?
People with type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms at first. They may not have symptoms for many years. According to Medlineplus.gov, early symptoms of diabetes caused by a high blood sugar level may include: Bladder, kidney, skin, or other infections that are more frequent or heal slowly.
What happens if you leave diabetes untreated?
Costs and Consequences is a blog series examining the health care burden of not treating diseases. Too often, the rhetoric focuses solely on the cost of medicines and disregards the adverse societal and economic impacts of not treating diseases. Stay tuned for the next post in the series and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
- Diabetes is a leading cause of death in the United States and its prevalence is rising at an alarming rate.
- Every 30 seconds a new diabetes case is diagnosed, with almost 2 million Americans newly diagnosed each year.
- Currently, more than 29 million people – one in 10 American adults – have diabetes.
- If trends continue as many as one–in-three Americans could face the disease by 2050.
Diabetes is a complex, chronic condition that requires consistent medical care and treatment to help control blood sugar levels. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to devastating complications, such as heart disease, nerve damage, blindness, kidney failure and amputations.
- And the risk of death for adults with diabetes is 50 percent higher than for adults without diabetes.
- The cost of not treating diabetes is detrimental to the patient, and also to society.
- According to the American Diabetes Association’s report, Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S.
- In 2012, the total estimated cost of diabetes in 2012 was $245 billion – a 41 percent increase since 2007.
This includes $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity, such as increased absenteeism, reduced productivity while at work and lost productivity due to early mortality. And people with diabetes, on average, have medical costs twice as high as for people without diabetes. These costs are unsustainable and underscore the need to control diabetes with a proper treatment plan, including diet, exercise and medications. Adherence to treatment is especially critical as improved adherence to diabetes medications could result in over 1 million fewer emergency room visits and save $8.3 billion annually.
Do you feel ill with undiagnosed diabetes?
Check if you have type 2 diabetes – Many people have type 2 diabetes without realising. This is because symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
peeing more than usual, particularly at nightfeeling thirsty all the timefeeling very tiredlosing weight without trying toitching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrushcuts or wounds taking longer to healblurred vision
You’re more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you:
are over 40 (or 25 for south Asian people)have a close relative with diabetes (such as a parent, brother or sister)are overweight or obeseare of Asian, African-Caribbean or black African origin (even if you were born in the UK)