Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus

The World Health Organization reports that about 435 million persons are currently living with diabetes mellitus around the world. It is more worrisome to know that it has been predicted that the number will rise to over 700 million by 2045. These statistics shows that over 250 million persons that are currently health or non-diabetics will come down with diabetes in the near future.

Diabetes is a chronic and life-threatening disorder of blood sugar metabolism and body management. It could lead to blindness, high blood pressure, kidney disease, amputation of the limbs, slow wound healing, chronic fatigue and even death if left untreated. There is no cure for the diabetes but recent studies suggests that if it is detected early, managed and treated on time too, total reversal and remission of the disease is possible.

Dr. Sangeeta Kashyap, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic, quoted in a Healthline blog said that “If you follow the advice of your doctors and nutritionist and make an effort to lose weight, diabetes can be reversed by normalizing your blood sugar levels without medication early in the course of the disease, that is the first three to five years.” Also, a study titled “Beating Type 2 Diabetes” that conducted in Scotland and published in The BMJ also suggests that it is possible to achieve total remission of diabetes.

Although these reports are still preliminary and a greater percentage of existing knowledge refute them, every one agrees that like any other non-communicable disease, the early detection,  diagnosis, and management of diabetes mellitus leads to better health outcomes and life productivity.

The initial signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus are usually subtle, somehow hidden, and in many cases, they look like routine symptoms of normal body changes and common infectious diseases like malaria and typhoid fever.

These signs and symptoms include frequent urination, increased levels and period of thirst, fatigue, mild body weakness, dizziness, headache, and hunger within a short time after meal. These could also be present with small changes and rise in blood pressure levels. 

Although these signs and symptoms overlaps with many other infectious and non-communicable diseases, there are also notable early signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus. 

Therefore, it is important as part of recommended health habits for individuals to always run blood sugar tests when they feel unwell or notice the persistence of these symptoms. This is necessary to rule out the onset (pre-diabetes) or present of diabetes mellitus or any other underlying disease. Also, low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) can cause some of these signs and symptoms. Laboratory blood sugar tests can also detect hypoglycemia.

About 250 million persons who are currently health or non-diabetics may come down with diabetes by 2045. This makes it absolutely necessary for everyone to have periodic blood sugar tests because there’s an emerging shot that early diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus can lead to total cure, reversal and remission of disease and other health risks that are associated with diabetes mellitus.

-Ngwoke Ifeanyi, BMLS 

Coordinator for Healthcare, HFU, Northeast Region, Nigeria