How Do I Know I Have Diabetes?

I'm sure that you probably haven't actually asked yourself that question, but if you did, how would you figure out the answer? The thing about diabetes, which is very similar to high blood pressure, is that it's silent until there's a problem. And usually the problem is bad!

It's important to pay attention to how you feel what's happening in your body.  That might give you a clue as to what's going on.

What are the symptoms? Well, they're pretty vague. They include fatigue, increased thirst, increased hunger and increased urination. Let's start with fatigue.  That could be brushed off by saying, yeah, I didn't get very good sleep last night. I haven't been getting good sleep for a while. I've been working really long hours at work. For some reason I just can't fall asleep. Fatigue is a symptom of almost everything.

Increased thirst could make you think: I've been drinking lot of water. I've been really thirsty and I'm peeing more than I usually do. Well, if you live in the desert like me, you're always thirsty. And if you're thirsty and you drink water, you're always peeing. Increased hunger? Most of us have a hard time deciding, am I really hungry? Am I emotionally hungry? Am I just thirsty?

Those particular symptoms may or may not spark your curiosity to ask "I wonder if I have diabetes."

There are more symptoms. One is unintentional weight loss. If you're a woman and you're having unintentional weight loss, first of all, you're probably going to be pretty excited about that!

However, you have to ask yourself, why am I losing weight if I'm not trying.

Second, you might be experiencing blurry vision. You might think, well, I haven't had my eyes checked recently or I haven't had my glasses prescription checked or I'm not wearing my glasses as much as I usually do. Is it my vision or diabetes?

You might have tingling in your fingers and toes and you might think, well, yeah, my foot falls asleep sometimes, or my fingers.  These too are a little more specific but also still a little vague.

Finally, an important symptom is slow wound healing. You cut yourself or a cat scratches you. Most of us don't necessarily pay attention to it. Oh, I have a wound. Let me make sure it's healing. We don't really remember how long ago we got the wound.

Taken together, you could see something a pattern. Maybe you should follow up and see what's going on.

What do you do?

The first thing is just that, pay attention! When did this wound start and how long has it taken to get to where it is now? What's going on with my vision?  Why am I so thirsty and peeing a lot? Becoming aware of it and understanding that this isn't something that's been just a day or two - it's been going on for a while.

The next thing is to make an appointment with your doctor and go in for your annual physical exam. They'll check your blood work, they'll check your hemoglobin A1C, your fasting blood sugar, and perhaps your fasting insulin.

Those are all things that say you might have diabetes, you might have insulin resistance, and to push a little further and see what else is going on.

If going to the doctor scares you, which it does for a lot of people, another thing you can do is go to any drug store and buy a glucose meter or a glucometer.

It comes in a kit that includes a glucose meter, test strips and a lancing device and  lancets. You'll stick your finger, get some blood, put the test strip into the glucometer and test your blood sugar.

You will need more explanation than that. So if you're at a pharmacy, talk to a pharmacist and ask them to show you how to test your blood right there, so you know what to do. It comes with a little book.  Write down the date, the time and what the reading is on the glucose meter. That will give you some information that you can take to your doctor.  Or you can look online and see what the numbers mean.  Then ask yourself, do you need to explore this further?

I provided a link below to my free 30 day guide to managing or reversing your type two diabetes. I hope that you'll download it. It will give you some great information. Second,  sign up for a free diabetes assessment call. I would love to talk with you and see how I can support you.

Thank you so much for listening!

Dr. Elaine

Download my free 30 Day Guide to Manage or Reverse Type 2 Diabetes 

Schedule a Free Diabetes Assessment Call

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.

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