Anyone can also develop type 2 diabetes – yes, even skinny people. One of the main causes of type 2 diabetes is obesity, but it's a common misconception that only obese people can get diabetes. That is not the case at all. There are many other causes as well.
Lots of people wonder: Can someone with a thin body still get affected by diabetes? In fact, it is. It's common to think diabetes only affects overweight people, but anyone, even those who look slim, may develop it.
Ten key warning signs of diabetes include increased thirst and urination, extreme hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing sores, unexplained weight loss, tingling/numbness in hands or feet, frequent infections, and sometimes dark skin patches (acanthosis nigricans), all indicating high blood sugar levels needing medical attention.
Weight loss
When you lose sugar through frequent urination, you also lose calories. Along with dehydration, this can cause rapid weight loss. That's especially true in people who have type 1 diabetes. But it also can happen in some people with type 2 diabetes.
For the few people who do experience symptoms of prediabetes, they may include: Darkened skin in your armpit or back and sides of your neck (acanthosis nigricans). Skin tags. Eye changes that can lead to diabetes-related retinopathy.
Symptoms
There's no cure for diabetes and no way to completely get rid of it. However, diabetes can be reversed in most people. Reversing diabetes means carefully managing blood sugars to a point where medications are no longer necessary, and staying at that manageable point through a healthy routine of diet and exercise.
Three common signs of diabetes are increased thirst and frequent urination, extreme tiredness, and blurry vision or slow-healing sores, often stemming from high blood sugar levels affecting the body. These symptoms, sometimes called the "Three Ps" (polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia), can develop slowly in Type 2 diabetes or quickly in Type 1.
Physical activity and exercise are not only effective to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in high-risk patients, but these behaviours are also useful to treat patients with type 2 diabetes and even lead to remission in some cases.
While cancer and GI issues and mental health cause most unintentional weight loss, there are many other reasons you might suddenly lose weight, including:
Feeling very thirsty. Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating. Extreme fatigue. Blurry vision.
Digital sclerosis: Some people with Type 1 diabetes develop hardened, thick, waxy skin on the backs of their hands. The finger joints stiffen, making movement difficult.
Red flag signs of diabetes symptoms
Urinating frequently. Feeling extremely hungry or thirsty. Feelings similar to drunkenness. Unusual behaviors, which may also indicate low blood sugar.
No, developing type 2 diabetes is not your fault; it's a complex condition resulting from a mix of genetics, environment, societal factors, and lifestyle, with many contributing elements beyond your personal control, so focus on management and support rather than blame. While weight, diet, and activity play roles, factors like family history, ethnicity, age, and stress also heavily influence risk, meaning you didn't choose your genes or the world around you.
Your doctor can diagnose diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes using blood tests. The blood tests show if your blood glucose level, also called blood sugar, is higher than the range that is healthy for you. Blood tests can also help identify the type of diabetes you have.
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.
According to its proponents, you use the pinch method by holding the thumb and index finger of one hand just above the wrist of the other hand and then exerting a little bit of pressure on the wrist. Doing this will supposedly cause the release of insulin and break down glucose.
Over time, high blood glucose levels can damage the body's organs. Possible long-term effects include damage to large (macrovascular) and small (microvascular) blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack, stroke, and problems with the kidneys, eyes, gums, feet and nerves.
When we lack sleep, the body may produce additional cortisol. While cortisol production increases in the body, blood sugar levels may also increase. While this occurs a small degree within the body naturally, our behavior drives this change even more by what we eat.
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You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, type 2 diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are age 45 or older, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight or have obesity.
Symptoms of hyperglycaemia
Prediabetes means that your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Glucose comes from the foods you eat.
Most people can get back to normal in the first 6 years after diagnosis, but it is never too late to try.
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