Prediabetes Symptoms

Prediabetes, also referred to as 'impaired glucose tolerance', is a health condition, typically characterized by blood sugar levels higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Although this health condition is observed in all individuals who suffer from diabetes, it is more common with people who suffer from type 2 diabetes. Studies by the American Diabetes Association reveal that approximately 54 million individuals in the United States are suffering from this disorder. This is a subject of concern as people demonstrating prediabetes symptoms today, are at a high risk of contracting diabetes within a period of the next 10 years.

Prediabetes Overview
Resistance to insulin and obesity are the most prominent causes of prediabetes. Owing to resistance to insulin, a small amount of glucose tends to get accumulated in the blood stream, instead of being transported to the cells. This accumulation of glucose leads to hyperglycemia or rise in sugar levels. As soon as any of the prediabetes signs and symptoms (given below) are observed, one should ideally opt for a prediabetes diagnosis. The diagnosis includes the following two blood tests:

• Fasting plasma glucose (abbreviated as FPG)
• Oral glucose tolerance test (abbreviated as OGTT)

People at high risk of prediabetes most often include people who are inactive, aged, obese, having a family history of type 2 diabetes, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) etc.

What are Prediabetes Symptoms
There are several symptoms of prediabetes, which generally range from constant hunger to disorders such as polyuria. Most of these symptoms are quite similar to actual diabetes symptoms, but their severity is only to a certain degree. However these symptoms are known to worsen with time and hence ignoring them can lead to severe complications in the body. The symptoms commonly observed in people suffering from prediabetes include

• The individual feeling hungry and thirsty every now and then as the cells are not able to process food properly.
• The individual experiencing sudden weight loss or weight gain without any concrete reason due to the faulty body mechanism triggered by unhealthy sugar levels in blood.
• They may experience frequent urination as the body tries to flush out excess glucose from within.
• They may demonstrate some flu-like symptoms, accompanied by fatigue and weakness.
• Depreciation of immunity levels in the individual, as the food consumed is not utilized by the body, which may eventually lead to various infectious diseases.
• The individual may also experience blurred vision as high levels of glucose in the blood deform the lens by making the water from the lens to move out.
• As the capacity of energy production of the body depreciates, it may make the individual feel ill or exhausted.
• Impairment of healing mechanism in the body, which may result in prolonged healing duration for simple cuts and bruises.

These are some of the frequently observed prediabetes symptoms which are very often accompanied by disorders such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Every individual suffering from diabetes does experience these symptoms of prediabetes just before the onset of diabetes.

Diagnosing prediabetes can help in avoiding the further complications one is likely to face after contracting diabetes. As soon as you realize that your blood sugar levels have increased, you can take some preventive measures to curb the approaching hazard. Simple measures such as eating healthy food and regular exercising can ensure that you don't gain excess weight and your blood sugar levels return to normal. Smoking and other such harmful habits are best avoided. If you are suffering from high blood pressure or high cholesterol problems, you need to attend to them at the earliest. These are some of the simple yet effective measures by which a pre diabetic can maintain healthy blood sugar levels and thus keep diabetes at bay.