How long can you have diabetes without realizing?

Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days. Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general.

Can I have diabetes for years and not know it?

Type 2 diabetes symptoms often take several years to develop. Some people don't notice any symptoms at all. Type 2 diabetes usually starts when you're an adult, though more and more children and teens are developing it. Because symptoms are hard to spot, it's important to know the risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

How long can diabetes go unnoticed?

Type 2 diabetes can be detected easily during a routine screening exam and blood test. However, it frequently can go undiagnosed for years unless a physician draws a blood sample to check the blood glucose. In the early stages of Type 2 diabetes, you experience few to no noticeable signs of the disease.

What does untreated diabetes feel like?

Symptoms include sexual problems, digestive issues (a condition called gastroparesis), trouble sensing when your bladder is full, dizziness and fainting, or not knowing when your blood sugar is low.

What does undiagnosed diabetes feel like?

However, in the early stages of undiagnosed diabetes, excess sugar in the bloodstream may damage sensitive vessels in the eyes, causing blurred vision. Numbness in extremities. Also known as neuropathy, tingling sensations in the hands and feet can be early warning signs for diabetes.

You could be at risk of diabetes without realizing it

What is silent diabetes?

“Diabetes starts as a silent disease, advancing painlessly, almost imperceptibly,” says Dr. Ferrer, who sees 25 to 30 diabetic patients per week. “It mainly attacks the small blood vessels, damaging the kidneys, eyes, and nerves.” It can also affect larger blood vessels.

What are the 3 main signs of diabetes?

What are 10 warning signs of diabetes?

How do you feel when diabetes starts?

The symptoms you experience won't exactly match those of another person. However, the most common diabetes symptoms experienced by many people with diabetes are increased thirst, increased urination, feeling tired and losing weight. To find out more about common diabetes symptoms and what causes them, watch our video.

What happens if you ignore diabetes?

Left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, nerve and kidney damage, vision loss and more. Even if you have mild blood sugar elevations, you can damage your organs. Diabetes is a common condition.

What is the 1st stage of diabetes?

Stage 1: Normal Blood Sugar

Individuals test positive for two or more diabetes-related autoantibodies identified by TrialNet screening. The immune system has started attacking insulin-producing beta cells, although blood sugar levels remain normal and no symptoms are present.

Can you suddenly become diabetic?

In people with type 1 diabetes, the onset of symptoms can be very sudden, while in type 2 diabetes, they tend to come about more gradually, and sometimes there are no signs at all.

What are two warning signs of diabetes?

When signs and symptoms are present, they may include: Increased thirst. Frequent urination. Increased hunger.

What are the warning signs of prediabetes?

Can diabetes go unchecked?

Untreated diabetes can lead to long-term complications or even death. In people with type 2 diabetes, these complications can include heart disease, kidney damage, peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain), or vision loss. Sometimes, diabetes goes untreated because it hasn't been diagnosed.

What does diabetes look like on feet?

Dry, cracked skin on your feet. A change in the color and temperature of your feet. Thickened, yellow toenails. Fungus infections such as athlete's foot between your toes.

What color is diabetic urine?

If you have diabetes insipidus, you'll continue to pee large amounts of watery (dilute), light-colored urine when normally you'd only pee a small amount of concentrated, dark yellow urine.

How do you rule out diabetes?

Fasting Blood Sugar Test

This measures your blood sugar after an overnight fast (not eating). A fasting blood sugar level of 99 mg/dL or lower is normal, 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates you have prediabetes, and 126 mg/dL or higher indicates you have diabetes.

What causes quick onset of diabetes?

But in some people, diabetes can rapidly develop because of a problem in the pancreas, instead of the diabetes causing damage to the pancreas in the long run. These problems can include chronic inflammation of the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, and pancreatic cancer.

How long does it take to catch diabetes?

Without taking action, many people with prediabetes could develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years. With numbers like that, it's important to learn about prediabetes and take action. Take our online test to find out if you are at risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Can sudden stress cause diabetes?

Stress alone doesn't cause diabetes. But there is some evidence that there may be a link between stress and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Our researchers think that high levels of stress hormones might stop insulin-producing cells in the pancreas from working properly and reduce the amount of insulin they make.

Can early diabetes go away?

Early detection and treatment can reverse the condition and prevent type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, in which the body doesn't use insulin properly, is on the rise in the United States. There are more than 35 million people with the condition, and many are diagnosed when they are young, even in adolescence.

Can undiagnosed diabetes cause weight gain?

Some sugar can be stored in the muscles and liver; however, most sugars are stored as fat when they have nowhere else to go. Thus, people with diabetes are more likely to be overweight or obese than those without the disease. While weight gain is one of the most common side effects of diabetes, it is not inevitable.

What are the signs of diabetes in a woman?

Symptoms of diabetes

increased thirst and hunger. frequent urination. weight loss or weight gain with no obvious cause. fatigue.

At what weight does diabetes start?

Being overweight (BMI of 25-29.9), or affected by obesity (BMI of 30-39.9) or morbid obesity (BMI of 40 or greater), greatly increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The more excess weight you have, the more resistant your muscle and tissue cells become to your own insulin hormone.