Pay attention to the early symptoms of diabetes to avoid onset of complications
25/07/2023
In Hong Kong, the number of people with diabetes is increasing and getting younger every year. If early symptoms of diabetes can be detected, lifestyle changes and treatment can be carried out to control the disease effectively to avoid the onset of diabetes complications.
Are you at high-risk of diabetes?
According to the definition of Hong Kong Hospital Authority, the following risk factors will increase the chance of developing diabetes:
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Diabetes in immediate family members
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High blood pressure
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High blood lipid
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History of Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
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Given birth to baby weighing 4 kg or more
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Body Mass Index (BMI) over 23
If you have the above high-risk risk factors, it is recommended to undergo regular diabetes assessment. You should also pay more attention to whether you have the following early symptoms of diabetes.
Pay attention to early symptoms of diabetes!
Early symptoms of diabetes 01: increased hunger
Frequent feelings of hunger even after meals. This is because the body cannot use blood glucose effectively, resulting in insufficient energy supply.
Early symptoms of diabetes 02: frequent urination
Feeling an increased urge to urinate and increased urine output. May even need to get up during the night to urinate. This is because too much glucose is excreted in the urine, resulting in increased urine output.
Early Diabetes Symptom 03: Strong Fatigue
As the body cannot use blood glucose effectively, it does not get enough energy support, resulting in tired and weak feeling.
Early Diabetes Symptom 04: Thirst
Feeling thirsty due to frequent urination and dehydration, which may be more intense than usual.
Early symptoms of diabetes 05: Sudden weight loss
When insulin is lacking or ineffective, blood glucose cannot be used effectively and the body burns fat to provide energy instead, resulting in weight loss.
Early symptoms of diabetes 06: Blurred vision
Blurred vision or difficult to concentrate. This is because too much glucose builds up in the lens of the eye, causing the lens to swell and affecting vision.
However, the early symptoms of diabetes are not obvious. When the above symptoms appear frequently, it means that you are possibly suffering from diabetes already, which should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Early understanding of physical conditions and risks to prevent or reverse prediabetes
Prediabetes refers to the stage in which blood glucose levels are higher than the normal range yet not reach to the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. If prediabetes can be detected early with lifestyle changes and medications, prediabetes is reversible. Unfortunately, most of the people will not have obvious symptoms so self-examination alone cannot be used to identify prediabetes.
Using the technology and databases authorized by local university, GemVCare's DForesee® combines genes and acquired modifiable risk factors to predict your current risk of developing prediabetes and risk of developing diabetes in future, which is one step earlier than traditional self-examination or blood glucose test. It allows you to take countermeasures as earlier as possible to prevent or reverse prediabetes.