Signs of Diabetes type 2
NORTHCLIFF – Three-and-a-half million South Africans suffer from diabetes and there are many more who are undiagnosed.
NHC Health Centre celebrated World Diabetes Awareness Day with presentations from dieticians on 14 November.
Dietician Wendy Lord gave tips and advice to diabetics and also highlighted a few signs of the killer disease.
These include:
– Blurred vision
If your vision is no longer as sharp as it used to be, or you’re struggling to see fine details clearly and have more floaters than usual, it could be due to diabetes, as blood sugar disruptions may cause the eye’s lens to become dry or swollen.
– Itching down below
Another cause is thrush, or yeast infections, which are very common and easy to treat – and which can repeatedly strike if you have Type 2 diabetes. This is because the associated high glucose levels in blood or urine provide the perfect breeding ground for troublesome yeast.
– Slow healing wounds
Diabetes also causes minor cuts, burns and grazes to take longer to heal. If not managed carefully, diabetes can lead to nerve damage and poor circulation, resulting in slower healing.
– Nausea and vomiting
An increase in unexplained nausea and sickness could be a sign of Type 1 or 2 diabetes, as blood sugar fluctuations can disrupt the metabolism or cause dizziness, which sometimes makes people feel sick.
– Dizziness
Dizziness can be a sign of diabetes because of low blood sugar or dehydration. The dehydration may be because the disease makes people urinate more than usual.
Other signs are:
– Increased thirst
– Increased hunger
– Dry mouth
– Unexplained weight loss
– Fatigue
– Headaches
– Loss of consciousness
