What is Diabetes?
It is a long-term condition that negatively affects how your body turns food into energy.
Food is broken down into sugar and released into your bloodstream when you eat. When the sugar levels are too much, the body alerts the pancreas to release insulin. The insulin released by the pancreas allows the broken blood sugar to be released into your cells to provide the body with the energy it needs.
With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. When this is on the verge of happening, your body has a way of telling you that it is time to check your sugar levels and take the necessary action. Here are seven of those warning signs you will experience mostly in the mornings:
1. Dry Mouth
Experiencing a dry mouth or xerostomia when you wake up first thing in the morning is a major symptom of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If you wake up feeling very thirsty every morning, you should consider getting your sugar level checked and addressing the problem, if any. Although there are several other conditions that can cause a dry mouth accompanied by thirst, you should consult a doctor if you suspect diabetes or have a history of it in your family.
2. Erectile dysfunction
Men with diabetes, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, frequently experience erectile dysfunction, which is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection that is strong enough for sex. It may result from inadequate long-term blood sugar regulation, which can harm nerves and blood vessels.
3. Shaky hands
Blood sugar levels below four millimoles (mmol) per litre typically result in symptoms. Feelings of hunger, shaking or shakiness, and sweating are typical early warning signals. In more extreme circumstances, you can also experience confusion and difficulties focusing.
4. Nausea
High sugar levels in your blood trigger frequent episodes of nausea in people that may be suffering from diabetes. Nausea in itself isn’t a significant call for concern however it is usually accompanied by vomiting in the case of a person that may be nearing diabetes. The feeling may be mild or severe. To manage diabetes-related nausea you should avoid too spicy foods and your carbs should come from unprocessed non-starchy vegetables.
5. Blurry vision
Experiencing blurry vision when you wake up in the morning is a possible indication that your blood sugar levels are high and hence there is a need to check it. Lazy vision is also common in people that are developing diabetes due to the enlargement of their eye lenses.
Eye lenses may change shape and your vision may become blurry if your blood sugar levels go from low to normal quickly. After your blood sugar levels have stabilised, your vision returns to normal.
6. Numb feet
People suffering from diabetes suffer from diabetic neuropathy which is a condition caused by high glucose in the blood. The presence of high levels of sugar in the blood damages the nerves mostly in the feet. Diabetic neuropathy symptoms can range from tingling and pain to numb hands, feet, and legs, depending on which nerves are affected.
7. Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of high blood sugar. In people with diabetes, it is referred to as diabetes fatigue. Many people with the condition feel tired all the time regardless of how well they sleep, how healthily they eat, or how much they exercise on a regular basis. Research has shown that up to 61% of people who are recently diagnosed with the condition experience fatigue.
Other Warning signs of diabetes
Aside from the above-listed symptoms, other signs like faintness, disorientation, tiredness and numb feet are other possible signs of impending diabetes. These changes may be very difficult to notice and many mistakes them for a usual condition however they are the core indicators of diabetes.