A young man camera to me saying he wasn a quite feeling himself lately, that he was just feeling “a bit off.” So I asked him to list what was “off.” He said that he was low on energy, feelier than usual even in cool environment and had broken sleep because he had to go to the washroom to urinate. His skin would be at night, too. I am not noticed that there were dark patches in the folds of his neck and a cut on his hand that had not heled even after 10 days. He was displaying signs of high blood sugar.

The reason we tend to miss these signs is because they are subtle and easy explainable to other health conditions. If you tired, you tell yourself, it’s probably work. If you are urinating frequently at night, then you think it’s just all the fluid you had dumbing the day or the extra tea and coffee. If you feel all sleepy after eating, then you attribute that to the heaviness of the meal. If you have blurry vision, you think it is an eye problem, if it is dry mouth, you think you have not had enough water. Some may have been repeated urinary tract infections or darkening skin patches and rashes which you treat in islation.

But fact is that these are all signs of high blood sugar which can go unnoticed for years.

Understanding red flags

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Itchy skin: This especially happens around the groin or underarms. Diabetes can disrupt the skin’s abality to retain moisture, leading to dryness and itching. This is of the due to impaired sweet and sebaceous gland function, which hydrates the skin. Dry Skin can be exacerbated by Poor Circulation, a common complication of diabetes.

Loss the unexplained weight: If your body can get enough fuel from your food, it goes to burning muscle and fat stores instead. So, the patient may lose weight.

Extreme Fatigue: This usually stems from being dehydrated because of constant urination.

Poor vision: High blood sugar can damage blood vessels in your eyes and you may experience blurry vision. If left untreated, Permanent Damage Can Occur and Lead to More Complications.

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Delayed healing of wounds: High Blood Sugar Can Damage Nerves and blood vessels, impairing blood circulation. So nutrients and oxygen do not reach the wounded area for the proprior healing. The same can caose tingling, numbness or pain in your hands and feet.

Dizzy spells: Sometimes people may feel light-headed and dizzy, which passes off quick Quickly. High blood sugar may result in dehydration, which affects concentration and memory.

Irritability: Bouts of irritation and changing moods are indicative of rapid shifts in blood sugar.

Unusual smelling breath: Low Insulin Levels Lead to Ketosis because the body the body, lacking sufficient insulin to utilise glucose for energy, turns to fat for fuel, production ketons as a byproduct. This May Further Be broken down to acetones that smell like nail polish.

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At what age should one ideally get their first blood sugar test done?

For most healthy adults, age 30 is a good time to begin routine blood sugar screening. However, if someone has risk factors, like a family history of diabetes, is overweight, has a sedentary lifestyle or has conditions like PCOS (Polycycystic Ovary Syndrome), HIGH Blood Pressure. Cholesterol, it’s advisable to start even earlier-possessibly in the mid-20s.

What tests to take?

A simple fasting blood sugar test, along with an HBA1C test (Average Blood Sugar Count of Three Months) Are enjoygh to start with. If needed, we may also do a postprandial (after-meal) test.

In many cases, if the tests are done in the prediabetes stage, then its progression to full-blown diabetes can be avied. That stage can often be reversed with lifestyle changes like diet, exercise and weight management. That is why early detection is so important.

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(Dr Mohan is Chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Center, Chennai)