These Symptoms of Diabetes Begin Long Before Diagnosis

I noticed I had the symptoms of diabetes described in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) literature at least two years prior to diagnosis, but a doctor had to see it  in a test tube before the diagnosis was made.

These are the diabetes signs and symptoms you most likely will find in books:

-- Frequent urination	-- Tingling in hands or feet
-- Constant thirst	-- Fatigue
-- Constant hunger	-- Weakness
-- Weight loss	-- Skin hard to heal
-- Dry itchy skin	-- Blurred vision

For more than 2 years before my diagnosis, I had been bothered by more than one of those symptoms. But they are easily missed. In my case, they were mistaken for something else.

The symptoms of diabetes are as elusive as the cause

It is very easy to miss these signs. Look at them again. Frequent urination happens if you drink too much fluids. I did not experience constant thirst, but I noticed my dry skin. I even thought of stop using skin lotion because it never helped.

The frequent hunger increased my appetite for sweets. I ate a lot of candy and snack bars. I remember the trick my blurred vision played on me too...

By the time I got to the optician, the blur had disappeared - I was seeing fine. When asked by my eye doctor if I was diabetic, my answer was no.

Two years prior to my diagnosis, My A1c was 6.4%. I had just turned the corner past 40 years old and since neither parents was diabetic, and every other result of my medical examination was normal, my doctor apparently dismissed the thought.

To me, those early symptoms of diabetes were not diabetic indicators at all, I did not even tell my doctor about any dry skin or periodic blurred vision. I was fine... not!

The early symptoms of diabetes could linger for years before diagnosis

People who have predisposing circumstances, such as parental history, ethnic factors, overweight or obese bodies, etc. need to be proactive in looking for any one of the above signs.

Type 2 diabetes is no longer "adult onset" diabetes. That is a misnomer. Children and youth are developing this condition in record numbers.

At the same time, researchers who do not know the cause of diabetes are developing numerous synthetic formulations to try and mask the symptoms. As the early signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes appear and disappear with fluctuations in blood glucose level, it is easy to neglect the signs and call them something else.

It's no wonder that official estimates say nearly a third of diabetics do not know they have the disease. Isn't that frightening?

It is true that the symptoms of diabetes are elusive in the early stages (or onset) of the disease, but there is enough knowledge and resources available to make earlier diagnoses.

Education, education, education is the solution. We should not be relying on drugs when prevention of the onset is possible for many who will still not hear that a lifestyle change is more powerful than genetic predisposition.

Your symptoms of diabetes can be a blessing in reverse than in control

The symptoms of diabetes are not permanent conditions in the case of type 2 diabetes. They are signs from your body that you are doing something wrong. I have yet to see someone who remove the cause of type 2 diabetes still experiencing persistence of the symptoms. No, those signs will go away.

On being diagnosed, many new diabetics walk away as if they have been sentenced to death. No. If you have just been diagnosed as type 2 diabetic it could be good news - it is indication you need a lifestyle "makeover".

First, be glad you recognize the symptoms of diabetes, or be happy that your doctor diagnosed your condition. Now you know exactly what is wrong with you. If you are on medication, continue to take your medicine as prescribed by your doctor, but be warned - most doctors will only help you control those symptoms. It's not your doctor's wish, per se. It's how modern medicine handles the problem.

Tackling diabetes symptoms - my experience

I followed my doctor's advice, at the same time believing that I could also reverse the condition. Hello! I would not say I don't have diabetes any more, but if I went to a new doctor and I do not disclose or tell him/her my preexisting condition, s/he would not diagnose me diabetic. Those diabetes symptoms are gone and I have no diabetes drugs in my system. It's all natural.

Anyone can do what I have done. I honestly cannot (and will not) guarantee the same results, but everyone who has tried lifestyle mediation has been convinced of the power of diabetes supplements such as milagro de la selva tea, together with proper diet and exercise.

Whether you are in your 40's, 50,'s, 60's or whatever age range, there is something you can do to normalize the symptoms of diabetes; both those that are readily evident (lethargy, frequent urination, sleeplessness, excessive thirst, etc) and the "unseen" but certain internal damage to your nerves and organ tissues. The answer is to remove the cause of diabetes.

Your diabetes symptoms indicate that something is wrong - has been wrong for a long time, but can be fixed. The general principle of cause and effect suggests that disease never occurs without a cause. Therefore in finding a treatment, we must work to remove the cause as well.

We are told to reduce or "cut back" on our intake of saturated fats, and to exercise. What if we use the information we have about the cause of diabetes and eliminate all those practices? Then, over time the conditions and symptoms will be reversed. Carbohydrates are not the problem - dietary and body fats are. Improper sleep, lack of exercise, and stress are causes. Those are what we must fix if we are to eliminate the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

Turn pre-diabetes symptoms and full-blown diabetes into a blessing

Everyone who takes prescription medication for diabetes, high cholesterol and other conditions for a prolonged period will need to monitor and (possibly) take other medicines in order to lessen or treat side effects. Synthetic medicines act fast, but they have associated risks - side effects that have been approved by the regulating agencies for us.

I like the bonus health benefits of a behavior change much more than the pyrrhic victory gained through the treatment of symptoms. It is better to attack the cause than to medicate the symptoms of the disease. For example, the anti-diabetes diet and lifestyle program not only normalized my blood sugar, but ensured me a normal body weight, normal cholesterol level, normal blood pressure - a bill of health that most Westerners, middle-age through retirement-age, would love to have.

For me, my diagnosis has turned out to be a blessing. I feel I am, in general, healthier today than I would have been had I not been awaken to the cause of type 2 diabetes. Do you have high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, or are you overweight? Maybe you too can turn your symptoms of diabetes in to a blessing.

You can find out more about the symptoms of diabetes at the ADA website. And do take a look at some hilarious diabetes symptoms catch-22 style.

References

Samuels T.A., Cohen D., Brancati F.L., Coresh J., Kao W.H. (2006). Delayed diagnosis of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in the ARIC study. American Journal of Managed Care. 2006 Dec;12(12):717-724.

American Diabetes Association, 4th. ed. (2000), Diabetes A to Z

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