Pre-diabetic Symptoms- What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Diabetes

Have you ever wondered whether you might be pre-diabetic? As a registered nurse with Type 1 diabetes I am often approached by my friends and family with questions about whether they might be experiencing pre-diabetes symptoms. In my experience many people feel uncomfortable talking with their family physician about their potential risk for developing pre-diabetes. After looking into this issue more thoroughly I discovered that throughout the country many women and men are being told by their physicians that pre-diabetes is not really something they need to give much attention, thought, or focus. After being approached by several people with stories on how their physicians were not concerned with their slightly elevated blood sugar levels, I decided to investigate the current trends surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of pre-diabetes in order to discover if there are unusual symptoms of pre-diabetes that you or someone you know could be experiencing that might go undetected by your physician.

There are two differing views on pre-diabetes held by many family physicians. One group of physicians considers pre-diabetes to be a serious medical condition that warrants early treatment and early diagnosis. While, the other group of physicians does not consider pre-diabetes to be a condition serious enough to diagnose and/or treat.

Diabetes is a chronic disease where there are high levels of sugar in the blood, called hyperglycemia. Currently diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death and the leading cause of both kidney disease and lower limb amputation. According to the National Diabetes Education Program, 79 million Americans age 20 and older have pre-diabetes.

Individuals who have Type 1 diabetes make little or no insulin, due to an autoimmune response where the body destroys its own healthy cells. However, individuals who have Type 2 diabetes do not produce enough insulin or their cells do not recognize the insulin that is present.

Diabetes is diagnosed by one of three different laboratory tests including fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, or by a glucose tolerance test. After the physician receives the results of the laboratory test he or she identifies where a patient's blood sugar falls on this spectrum.

• A person with a normal fasting blood sugar less than 100 mg/dl is considered to be non-diabetic.
• A person with a fasting blood sugar between 100 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl is consider to be pre-diabetic.
• A person with a fasting blood sugar of 126 mg/dl or higher is considered to be diabetic.

Multiple research studies have proved that many individuals who are pre-diabetic have already experienced serious complications from the disease. Many people who develop pre-diabetes will go on to develop Type 2 diabetes.

Many pre-diabetics exhibit at least a 50 percent loss in the ability to make insulin, the hormone needed to stabilize blood sugar. By the time Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed 80 percent of the person's ability to make insulin is often lost. New research shows that you can lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by losing 7% of your body weight and exercising 30 minutes a day at least 5 days per week.

When the majority of individuals get diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, complications related to hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar have already occurred. Research studies found individuals who were not diabetic but who had a glucose level of 140 mg/dl or greater had evidence of nerve damage. After one hour of having high blood sugar levels, researchers found test subjects had developed several known markers associated with the development of heart disease. Additional studies have found diabetic eye disease in pre-diabetic individuals.

The second discovery I made when researching pre-diabetes is that there are many early warning signs of pre-diabetics that often go undetected by family physicians. Family physicians tend to focus on lab results or the three obvious signs of diabetes (increased thirst, increased hunger, and increased urination); therefore, it is important that we all become familiar with the potential signs of pre-diabetes. Keep in mind that these signs are anecdotal, or patient reported, and not considered to be clearly defined signs of pre-diabetes by many physicians. Although physicians might give little weight to patient reported signs, anecdotal information is still an important factor in the early detection and diagnosis of disease.

You Might Have Pre-diabetes if you are experiencing......

• Sugar cravings
• Difficulty loosing weight, despite no increase in food intake or decrease in energy expenditure.
• Frequent respiratory illnesses or difficulty getting over cold and/or viruses.
• Darkened areas of the skin behind your neck, under your armpits, on your elbows, knees, or knuckles.
• Heartburn or have been diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
• Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.
• Problems breathing at night, often due to sleep apnea.
• Dizzy spells after eating sweets.
• Blurred vision.
• Gingivitis.
• A feeling of being extremely tired after eating large meals.
• Fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle aches, and/or joint problems.
• Water retention or puffiness.
• Never feeling satisfied after eating a meal.
• Irritability or nausea when there is a delay in the normal time you have between meals.
• A craving for sweets after having a large meal.
• High blood pressure, high triglycerides, and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
• Frequent yeast infections.
• Bouts of depression
• Numb toes or a burning sensation in feet.

*Many of the above signs could also mimic symptoms related to gluten or wheat allergy. Scientists are beginning to find a relationship between diabetes and gluten allergy.

If you or someone you know could be at risk for developing pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes there are steps that can be taken to help reverse this trend. First it's important to communicate all the signs and symptoms you might be having, even if you think they are unrelated to blood sugar issues, to your family physician. Your family physician can assess your needs and identify potential interventions that could help you prevent developing diabetes. If your physician downplays the importance of pre-diabetes identification and management it might be time to consider getting a second opinion or switching physicians.

For more articles or information about the author Kelley Ward, PhD, RN, C please visit here.

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