World Diabetes Day: 6 signs that you may have the disease –

Today (11/14) is considered the World Diabetes Dayan important date to make the population aware of diabetes mellitus, a disease that affects around 422 million people around the world, according to data from a WHO report. The picture is even more serious in developing countries, where the rates of uncontrolled cases of the problem reach 75%.

Diabetes is directly related to our lifestyle — healthy habits, such as good nutrition and regular exercise. physical exercisesnot only help to prevent but act directly in the control and treatment of the disease. And it’s worth the warning: according to the WHO, between 30% and 40% of people living in the American continent still don’t know they have diabetes. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the most common symptoms:

1. Frequent urge to pee

This is a clear sign that glucose is sky high. “When blood sugar levels get out of control, your kidneys try to eliminate the substance through your urine”, says Renato Zilli (@drrenatozili), endocrinologist at Hospital Sírio Libanês, in São Paulo (SP). This results in more trips to the bathroom, including during the night.

2. Very thirsty

More pee means higher risk of dehydration. Hence why thirst is another common symptom of diabetes. In these cases, the amount of water that the person is used to ingesting is no longer able to keep up with the body’s needs.

3. Excessive tiredness

A exhaustion it also takes care of diabetics who do not control the disease – even if the night’s sleep lasts eight hours. “The imbalance between excess blood sugar and lack of glucose inside the cells affects the energy available to face day-to-day activities”, explains Zilli.

4. Blurred vision

When blood glucose levels rise, the macula (area of ​​the retina responsible for accurate vision) swells and makes it harder to focus on any specific point. Is that why you’ve been seeing everything more blurry lately? It’s worth going to the doctor.

5. Bleeding gums

Sweet blood transforms your organism into a more than favorable environment for bacteria to party, especially those that like to live in the mouth mucosa. There, they proliferate and leave their gum more sensitive, swollen and prone to bleeding.

6. Skin tags

Too much circulating glucose ends up compromising the health of your blood vessels. There, stains purple, reddish, or brown spots begin to appear.