Pre-Diabetes Red Flags
Prediabetes happens when the body cells can no longer respond to insulin supplied. Do you have?
- Abdominal Fat is the greatest risk: Visceral (abdominal) fat hinders the processing of insulin. Keep waistline under 35” for women under 40” for men.
- Increased Thirst: Blood glucose (sugar) draws water from all the body’s tissues. The sense of thirst is there and unquenched.
- Dry Itchy Skin: With blood glucose drawing moisture from skin leaving it prone to itch and cracking.
- Blurred vision: High blood sugar can change the shape of the eye lens, causing blurriness.
- Slow Healing: Excess blood glucose interferes with the healing of cuts, sores, urinary track and vaginal infections.
- Lack of Energy: Cells starves of energy boosting, tire quickly.
- Sleepy After Meals: Digestive track converts foods to glucose, triggering a surge of insulin. The insulin surge is ineffective so the body feels drowsy, due to the glucose roller-coaster effect.
- Moodiness and Irritability: The glucose roller-coaster can trigger feelings of restlessness, irritability driving exaggerated responses to stress.
- Tingling and numbness in hands and feet: Changing glucose levels can damage small blood vessels feeding the body’s peripheral nerves, causing tingling and loss of sensation in hands, feet and legs.
According to American Diabetes Association these symptoms affect 60 million Americans, most of whom are unaware they are pre-diabetic. Be your best advocate. Stay Healthy.