When your blood sugar is out of control, you may start to have other health problems. But if you know their warning signs, you can nip them in the bud or keep them from getting worse.
Nerve Damage
This usually starts in your hands and feet. But it can also affect your stomach, bowels, bladder, genitals, heart, and other parts of your body. See your doctor right away if you get:
- Tingling, pain, or numbness in your hands or feet
- Stomach problems like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- A lot of bladder infections or trouble emptying your bladder
- Problems getting or keeping an erection
- Dizzy or lightheaded
If you have nerve damage, you can improve or slow its progress if you keep your blood sugar levels near normal. Some supplements and medications for pain, nausea, or sexual problems can also help.
Skin Issues
Skin problems like yeast infections are a warning that your blood sugar is too high. You may notice symptoms like:
- Itching in moist folds of your skin, such as under your breasts, between fingers and toes, or in your armpits
- Itching, pain, or discharge in your vagina
- For uncircumcised men, itching under the foreskin
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Your doctor may prescribe medication for yeast infections, especially if you get them often.
Watch for these other skin symptoms:
- Hair loss on your toes, feet, or lower legs
- Brown patches of raised skin on the sides of your neck, armpit, or groin, called acanthosis nigricans
Eye Damage
The sooner you get treatment for eye problems, the better. Get help right away if you notice these warning signs:
- Blurred vision
- Trouble reading
- See rings around lights or dark spots
- Get very sensitive to sunlight and other bright light
- Can't see well at night
Eye damage doesn't always cause symptoms, even when it's advanced. So it's important to see an eye doctor at least once a year for a thorough exam.
Emergency Warning Signs
If your blood sugar is very high over time, that could lead to more serious conditions, including a coma or even death. Call your doctor right away if you:
- Get very tired
- Lose weight
- Feel hungry a lot
- Get very thirsty and pee often
Problems Without Warning Signs
Some serious health issues linked to diabetes may not have any symptoms, such as:
With diabetes, you may not have symptoms of heart disease even if you're having a heart attack. And if you have kidney disease, there could be no warning signs until your kidneys are damaged.
Even without symptoms, though, you can catch these problems early, or make them less likely, with these steps:
- See your doctor at least once a year.
- Take your diabetes medication as prescribed.
- Try to lose weight if you're overweight.
- Eat healthy and don't skip meals.
- Exercise regularly.
- If you smoke, get help to quit.
- Work with your doctor to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol under control.