Sugar poisons your body – and it’s why you develop these diabetes symptoms
“Tasty, but toxic.” Those are the world I’d like to see under the Oxford Dictionary’s “sugar” entry.
The reason?
Because while delicious and seemingly harmless, sugar seems to destroy your organs without a trace. From your liver, to your pancreas, kidneys and, ultimately, your heart, nothing’s safe from sugar’s devastating effects on your health.
But here’s the thing most people don’t realise.
Sugar does leave a trace – and if you know what to look for you can prevent
type 2 diabetes from ruining your future
The problem, however, says the Mayo Clinic’s Dr Maria Collazo-Clavell is that most of the people who “come into her office with
diabetes don’t even know it”.
And in many cases, these people are women who’ve put their symptoms down to good old menopause.
Don’t make that mistake. Just because some
diabetes symptoms mirror those of menopause, doesn’t mean that’s what it is.
Here are the six diabetes warning signs you should look out for.
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Daily insulin injections are a distant memory for Catherine Downs now...
In fact, the 56-year old diabetic has almost forgotten she ever had full-blown
type II diabetes.
No more syringes. She's even lowered her hypoglycaemic prescription to only 2mg per day. And get this… She's eating like a normal person again, sugary sweets and all.
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These six symptoms might not always be a sign of menopause
Unusual diabetes symptom #1: Intense hunger
While it’s true that menopause can cause intense hunger, so too can diabetes. When your
blood sugar levels plummet, your body thinks it’s starving. And it craves glucose.
If you suffer from regular hunger pains – especially ones that makes you double over in
pain – get tested for diabetes.
Unusual diabetes symptom #2: Mood swings
Ah, the dreaded mood swings. So often put down by doctors as “menopause,” studies show long periods of high blood-sugar levels can trigger the production of a hormone linked to the development of
depression.
Someone who experiences low
blood sugar, on the other hand, may suddenly become irritable, even combative in a matter of minutes.
Unusual diabetes symptom #3: Yeast infections
Because your oestrogen levels drop when you go through menopause, it makes it easier for bacteria and yeast to thrive in your urinary tract and vagina. And that leads to one thing: Yeast infections.
The same is true for diabetes.
Fungi and bacteria love a high sugar environment. And because your body enters an “immunosuppressed state” when you have the diabetes, you can’t fight them off the way you should.
Unusual diabetes symptom #4: Low sex drive
Vaginal dryness is a menopause symptom few women like to think of. It makes sex uncomfortable and often sore. But menopause may not be to blame. You see, diabetes can damage the nerves of the cells that line your vagina. This can interfere with arousal and orgasm and lead to unpleasant symptoms like vaginal dryness.
Unusual diabetes symptom #5: Tingling hands and feet
If your hands or feet tingle, it could be the result of the hormone fluctuations that occur in menopause. Or, it could be diabetes.
This, because diabetes can cause significant nerve damage if you aren’t being treated for it.
Unusual diabetes symptom #6: Dry eyes
Three in five menopausal women suffer from dry, itchy eyes. And while they often don’t realise menopause could be to blame, diabetes is just as likely. In fact, you have a 50% chance of suffering from dry, irritated eyes if you have type 2 diabetes.
This because diabetes can damage the nerves that control your eye’s lacriminal gland.
The result?
Your body doesn’t produce enough tears to keep your eyes lubricated.
So how do you know if diabetes or menopause is to blame for your symptoms?
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Get your hormones back in sync
Whether you’re pre-menopausal, post-menopausal or in between – if you’re tired of gulping ice water, gaining weight and suffering through endless mood swings… Your life is about to change, again… This time for the better!
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Type 2 diabetes or menopause? Only a blood test will decide…
The first thing you need to realise is you absolutely can NOT ignore these symptoms.
The only way to know for sure what’s going on in your body is to speak to your doctor. After all, with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that one in four people who have diabetes haven’t been diagnosed, you might be one of them.
The only way to know is to get a blood test.
And even if your current symptoms turn out to be nothing more than a sign you’re going through “the change”, the American Diabetes Association recommends you get your doctor to test you every three years starting at age 45. This is especially important if you’re
overweight.