World Diabetes Day, a special event to raise awareness on one of the fastest growing epidemic in the world, is celebrated annually on Nov. 14.

This silent killer is becoming more common as early signs are very easy to miss. In fact, in an estimate, over 640 million people around the world will be diagnosed with diabetes by 2040. With its signs often misdiagnosed as other diseases, many people develop diabetes undetected.

In the United States, the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has multiplied from 5.6 million to 20 million in just 31 years (1980 to 2011). Being aware of the warning signs of diabetes is essential for early detection and treatment of the disease.

Type 2 diabetes can be present without people knowing it. In fact, around one third of people with diabetes are not aware of their condition unless it is already affecting other parts of the body. A person with diabetes has twice the risk of developing heart disease or suffering from a heart attack.

When dealing with diabetes, there are three major signs (3 P's) to look out for: increased thirst (polydipsia), hunger (polyphagia) and urination (polyuria). If a person drinks water a lot, often feels hungry even after eating and pees a lot (especially at night), he/she may have diabetes.

Other signs to look out for are exhaustion or extreme tiredness, marked weight loss, blurred vision, cuts or wounds that take longer to heal than usual, skin itching and numbness in the hands and feet.

Increased hunger and fatigue

The body needs the glucose that cells convert to energy. Insulin, a hormone released from the pancreas, regulates how the body utilizes and stores glucose in the body. Most of the cells in the body rely on insulin to take glucose from the blood for energy.

With diabetes, the body produces no or fewer insulin to can transport glucose for cell energy. As a result, the patient experiences unusual tiredness and hunger.

Increased thirst and urination

Increased thirst manifests because of the circulating blood glucose not brought to the cells. This raises the osmolarity of the blood, making it more concentrated. It is often accompanied by dryness of the mouth, termed as 'cotton mouth'.

When there is a marked increase in blood sugar levels, the kidneys need to work harder to filter out and reuptake the excess sugar. In patients with diabetes, sugar in the blood causes it to be thicker. As a result, fluid is pulled out from the body's tissues and into the bloodstream. Hence, their kidneys need to store more fluid and make more urine. A normal person pees around seven times in 24 hours, but diabetics pee more than usual to get rid of the excess glucose.

What can be done?

With healthy lifestyle choices, diabetes can be prevented. Severely obese people are 10 times more likely to develop diabetes in their lifetime. Usual treatment options include weight management, physical activity, lifestyle management, blood pressure monitoring and fostering healthy food choices. 

Photo: David Salafia | Flickr