Pre-diabetes– a condition that lurks like a ghost in the corner and traps you the moment it views you as a perfect host. Okay, yes that’s not the technical definition of it but it could be. Pre-diabetes is a serious condition in which your blood sugar levels go through a dramatic rise but not enough to classify as diabetes.
The younger brother of the silent killer, diabetes, pre-diabetes is a step ahead in the sense that it’s almost impossible to spot. According to the statistics released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 90% of pre-diabetes patients don’t even know that they have this condition!
Wondering if you are one of them?
You could be. The thing is that despite being difficult to detect, it still displays certain tell-tale signs that almost give it away.
Here are the red flags of pre-diabetes that you should pay careful attention to :
1. Your ancestral family tree has diabetes written all over it
According to researchers, there’s a particular group of people who are more likely to suffer from pre-diabetes. The group that has a family history of type 2 diabetes. So if your father, your grandfather, your great-grandfather and the several fathers that come before were patients with diabetes, you’ll probably get pre-diabetes too!
2. Friends of diabetes have taken you for a ride
Diabetes is not a standalone disease. When it decides to hit your body, it brings its friends, namely other diseases, along with it. So if you don’t suffer from diabetes yet but have other associated conditions such as obesity, heart problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and/or polycystic ovary disease(PCOD), you could be suffering from pre-diabetes as well.
3. Classic symptoms of diabetes plague you
As we said before, pre-diabetes is hard to detect and even though every 1 in 3 people has them (according to CDC), doctors say that they may not experience any symptoms whatsoever. While that may be the general rule, exceptions exist of course. In certain cases, you may start noticing the classic symptoms of diabetes, which also count as symptoms of pre-diabetes. These include increased thirst, unexplainable fatigue, an increase in the frequency of urination and more.
4. Strange patches develop on your skin
Have the number of spots increased than the usual appeared on your skin? Are they dark and creased? Watch out for them as these could mean pre-diabetes. According to medical experts, individuals with pre-diabetes could suffer from a skin condition known as acanthosis nigaricans, in which thick, dark patches develop either on the neck, elbows, armpits, knuckles or behind the knees.
5. Being the night owl is the norm
That is not to say you were always like this, but if for no apparent reason, you find yourself staying awake more than sleeping every night (sleeping less than 6 hours that is), you could be in the throes of pre-diabetes. Researchers believe this happens because of the connection between hormones and sleep impairment.
Pre-diabetes can easily fly under the radar, but if you keep your eyes peeled for these signs, you could know for sure if you’re suffering from this serious disease.