Pre Diabetes Symptoms

Pre Diabetes Symptoms are important to identify in order to take action and prevent yourself from developing diabetes, which is a chronic disease. But what exactly is pre diabetes? Pre diabetes is a condition in which your blood glucose levels will be high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Why is it important to know the pre diabetes symptoms? Although you will not have diabetes yet, pre diabetes increases the chances of you developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

What are the common signs of pre diabetes?

It is often said that pre diabetes symptoms are non-existent, because they closely resemble those of diabetes. However, there are some ways to tell whether you have this condition. They include:

•    Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in which the fasting blood sugar level is elevated (100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL) after an overnight fast.

•    Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in which the blood sugar level is elevated (140 to 199 mg/dL) after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test

•    An occurrence of both IFG and IGT

•    Unexplained weight loss or weight gain

•    Flu like symptoms and weakness of the body, as well as increased fatigue levels

•    Tingling and loss of feeling in the hands and feet

•    Recurring infections of the gum and the skin

•    Slow healing of cuts and bruises

What is the difference between pre diabetes symptoms and diabetes signs and symptoms?

Since diabetes and pre diabetes have similar signs and symptoms, you should familiarize yourself with them, so that you can tell when you start exhibiting pre diabetes symptoms and seek medical intervention on time.

•    Do you have a frequent urge to urinate?
•    Are you often thirsty?
•    Do you have constant hunger pangs no matter how much you eat?

If you do, then you have polyuria, polydisia and polyphagia, exhibiting classic diabetes signs and symptoms.  Other symptoms could include: weight loss regardless of how much you eat, weakness and fatigue, tingling or numbness on your hands, legs or feet and blurred vision.

It is however also important to note that sometimes, people can live for months or years without showing any pre diabetes symptoms that they have the disease.

Diabetes symptoms in women

Although most symptoms exhibited will be similar in men and women, diabetes symptoms in women will often also present in the following ways:

•    Increased infections of the skin as well as vaginal yeast infections, bladder and urinary tract infections
•    Unexplained weight loss
•    Sexual dysfunction due to pain or discomfort as a result of reduced vaginal lubrication and sensitivity and inability to achieve sexual orgasm
•    Lethargy, irritation and loss of temper
•    In pregnant women, there are often no overt signs

If you have pre diabetes, you can take action so as to prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes. You can change your lifestyle, lose weight and exercise regularly. But first and foremost, consult your physician and discuss your pre diabetes symptoms.