Diabetes is one of the most frequently diagnosed diseases in the world, affecting 30.3 million people in the United States alone (9.4 percent of the total US population). Even more frightening, 7.2 million diabetics in the United States don’t even know they have the disease.
Realizing you have diabetes can be scary, but the sooner you treat it, the easier it will be to manage the condition. A review of studies published in Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association, found that patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 who receive insulin treatment early have better control over their blood sugar levels and less weight gain than those who start treatment later.
Before you’re shocked by your diabetes diagnosis, here are 10 signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus you shouldn’t ignore. If any of the signs listed here look familiar to you, see your doctor as soon as possible to have your blood sugar levels tested.