You may have diabetes without knowing it. Your body can give you warning signs long before the condition becomes serious. Here are 10 symptoms you should know.

• Diabetes can develop slowly, and some people may have few or no symptoms.
• Common signs include frequent urination, unusual thirst, constant tiredness, increased hunger, and unexplained weight loss.
• Other possible signs include blurred vision, slow-healing wounds, repeated infections, tingling or numbness, and dark skin patches.
• These symptoms do not confirm diabetes. A blood test is needed to know if you have diabetes.

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Diabetes can develop without making you feel seriously ill. Some people have diabetes for years before they discover it.

However, the body can give warning signs.

The signs are often easy to ignore. You may think you are simply tired, drinking too much water, or getting older.

Knowing these signs can help you know when it is time to get your blood sugar checked.

Here are 10 common signs of diabetes.

1. You Urinate More Often

Do you find yourself going to the toilet much more often than usual?

Frequent urination is one of the common signs of diabetes.

When there is too much sugar in the blood, the body tries to get rid of some of it through urine. This can make you urinate more often.

You may also notice that you wake up several times at night to urinate.

But frequent urination does not always mean diabetes. Drinking a lot of fluids, some medicines and other health problems can also cause it.

2. You Are Always Thirsty

If you are drinking more water than usual but still feel thirsty, pay attention.

Excessive thirst often goes together with frequent urination.

When you urinate more, your body loses more water. This can leave you feeling thirsty again and again.

The combination of frequent urination and unusual thirst is one of the signs that should not be ignored.

3. You Feel Tired All the Time 

Everyone gets tired.

But diabetes can cause unusual or persistent tiredness.

When blood sugar is too high, the body may not use that sugar properly for energy. Frequent urination can also cause loss of water, which may make you feel even more tired.

If you regularly feel exhausted even after getting enough sleep, it is worth finding out why.

Diabetes is only one possible cause.

4. You Lose Weight Without Trying

Have you lost a noticeable amount of weight without changing your diet or exercise?

Unexplained weight loss can be a sign of diabetes.

When the body cannot use sugar properly for energy, it may start using stored fat and muscle instead.

This can cause weight loss even when you have not been trying to lose weight.

Unexplained weight loss has many possible causes, so it should not automatically be blamed on diabetes.

5. Your Vision Becomes Blurry

Diabetes can affect your vision.

High blood sugar can cause changes in the eye that make your vision temporarily blurry.

You may notice that objects do not look as sharp as they normally do, or that your vision changes from time to time.

Blurred vision can have many other causes. But if it appears together with excessive thirst, frequent urination or unusual tiredness, getting your blood sugar checked is sensible.

6. Cuts and Wounds Take Longer to Heal

A small cut normally gets better with time.

But people with diabetes may find that some cuts or sores take longer to heal.

High blood sugar can affect the body’s ability to deal with infections and heal wounds properly.

This is especially important if you repeatedly notice wounds that are slow to heal.

7. You Keep Getting Infections

Repeated infections can sometimes be a sign of diabetes.

People with diabetes may be more likely to develop certain infections, including urinary infections, skin infections and yeast infections.

One infection does not mean you have diabetes.

But repeated infections, especially together with other symptoms on this list, deserve attention.

8. You Feel Hungry More Often

Are you eating normally but feeling unusually hungry soon afterward?

In diabetes, sugar may build up in the blood instead of being used properly by the body’s cells.

This can leave the body feeling as though it needs more energy.

Increased hunger is a possible sign of diabetes, although it can also have many other causes.

9. You Feel Tingling or Numbness in Your Hands or Feet

Some people with diabetes develop tingling, burning or numbness in their hands or feet.

This usually happens after high blood sugar has been present for a long time and has affected the nerves.

It is therefore not always an early sign of diabetes.

Still, unexplained numbness or tingling should be discussed with a health professional.

10. Your Skin Develops Dark Patches

Some people with type 2 diabetes develop areas of darker, thicker skin.

These patches often appear around the neck, armpits or other skin folds.

This can be linked to the body’s difficulty using insulin properly.

However, dark skin patches can have other causes too.

Can You Have Diabetes Without Any Symptoms?

Yes.

This is one of the most important facts about diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly. Some people have few symptoms or none at all for years.

That means feeling healthy does not always mean your blood sugar is normal.

People who have a higher risk of diabetes may need testing even when they feel fine.

What Should You Do If You Have These Symptoms?

Do not panic.

Having one or two of these symptoms does not mean that you have diabetes.

Many other conditions can cause the same symptoms.

The only way to know whether you have diabetes is to get tested.

A health professional can use a blood test to check your blood sugar.

If you have several of these symptoms, especially frequent urination, unusual thirst, tiredness or unexplained weight loss, consider getting your blood sugar checked.

Diabetes Can Be Silent

The biggest problem is that diabetes does not always announce itself.

Some people wait until they become seriously ill before discovering that their blood sugar has been high for a long time.

The WHO notes that untreated diabetes can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels.

That is why knowing the warning signs matters.

But remember:

Symptoms can suggest a problem. A blood test confirms it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first sign of diabetes?

There is no single first sign for everyone.

Frequent urination, unusual thirst, tiredness, unexplained weight loss and blurred vision are among the common symptoms. Type 2 diabetes can also have no noticeable symptoms.

Can diabetes make you tired?

Yes.

Unusual tiredness is a common symptom of diabetes.

Can diabetes make you urinate a lot?

Yes.

Frequent urination is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes.

Can you have diabetes without knowing?

Yes.

Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly and may cause few or no noticeable symptoms for years.

How do you know if you have diabetes?

You need a blood test.

Symptoms alone cannot confirm diabetes.

Sources

• World Health Organization (WHO), Diabetes
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Symptoms of Diabetes
• NHS, Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes and How It’s Diagnosed
• Mayo Clinic, Diabetes Symptoms: When Diabetes Symptoms Are a Concern
• Mayo Clinic, Type 2 Diabetes: Symptoms and Causes

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