Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into your cells to be stored or used for energy. With diabetes, your body either does not make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it does make.
Untreated high blood sugar from diabetes can damage your nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
Dr. Henry Kusi Appiah, a medical expert at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital notes that most signs of diabetes can be asymptomatic and one may not even recognize these signs.
In the medical health series discussion on non-communicable diseases held on the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun on Fridays, he noted that some indicators of diabetes include frequent urination and long periods spent in urinating. “The sugar in your body gets stuck in the veins and cannot be supplied to the cells in the body. In such a situation one can take in lots of water and urinates frequently. If you urinate frequently, then that is your body telling you drink more water and that’s a sign of diabetes. A diabetic drinks lots of water and urinates a lot too, sometimes taking too long for the person to urinate.”
He added that if the sugar in the veins is not circulating into the blood cells, one also experiences unexplained weight loss. “And because the cells don’t get any food too, then that sends a message to the body to also eat a lot and these are some of the symptoms of diabetes.”
Dr. Henry Kusi Appiah added that anyone suffering from diabetes is susceptible to a myriad of infections. “Just like insects are attracted to sugar, a person who suffers from diabetes is also prone to infections. One can suffer skin infections and in women, candidiasis. Anyone frequently suffering from candidiasis might be having diabetes.”
The medical professional explained that one can suffer blindness as a result of diabetes. “The risk of contracting cataract and glaucoma is high.”
Apart from these signs, ones nerves can suffer changes and when this happens “you will feel some heat sensations around your legs and if this goes on for a while and you don’t check, your skin can become insensitive. These nerves can even cause erectile dysfunction,” he added.
