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Understanding Prediabetes Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Prediabetes is a condition in which the person has higher than normal levels of blood sugar, but they aren’t as high to be categorized under diabetes. If left untreated, the situation can turn into full-blown type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or even stroke.

The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed. Those who make lifestyle changes and work to defeat the situation comprehensively are usually successful. Those who ignore the warning signs end up suffering from diabetes within a decade.

What Are The Causes Of Prediabetes?

The exact reason why prediabetes as a condition develops in an individual is still a mystery. In a healthy body, when the food is eaten, it is broken down into glucose molecules. These are the smallest units that the body can use to release energy. The pancreas produces a hormone, insulin that is responsible for delivering the glucose molecules to the cells. As the food gets digested, the blood sugar levels increase, and this triggers the pancreas to release insulin. As insulin courses through in the bloodstream, the glucose gets delivered to the cells and energy is released.

In those who have this condition, either the body becomes resistant to insulin, or it doesn’t produce it in enough quantities. This leads to high blood sugar levels. If the situation is not controlled, it can snowball into diabetes.

A condition in which blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. Without intervention, it’s likely to become type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka – MBBS, MD(Pediatrics)

Risk Factors

Many risk factors contribute to the condition.

People usually mistaken appearance of black velvety patches on neck, behind the neck, elbows, inner thighs, armpits etc. These are early signs of insulin resistance which need blood sugar testing.

Dr. Arpit Verma, MBBS, MD (Pharmacology)

Symptoms Of Prediabetes

While there are no apparent symptoms of prediabetes, there are certain warning signs. Darkened skin on the body, especially, neck, armpits, knees, elbows and knuckles region. Other warning signs are:

High blood sugar levels are responsible for creating a more dehydrated environment in the body. This makes the person very thirsty.

Since the person ends up drinking so many fluids, the body throws out the excess water as urine. Another reason why frequent urination happens is that there is a high level of blood sugar. This creates toxicity in the body and signals the kidneys to throw out the excess sugar as urine.

Since the person cannot utilize the glucose released from food, he continually feels fatigued and has low energy levels.

Fluctuating sugar levels lead to a blurring in the vision. The eyes can look because of a lens present in them. This lens bends and stretches to form images. Due to a high amount of glucose in the blood, the lens loses its flexibility. In most cases, if the sugar is brought under control, it leads to the restoration of vision.

Women identified with prediabetes in early pregnancy have been reported to have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with women with lower HbA1c levels, it should usually go away after the pregnancy, but a close follow-up is very necessary.

Dr Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D. 

Those women who have prediabetes suffer from frequent UTIs. The high sugar in the body provides a conducive environment for viruses and bacteria to prosper leading to frequent infections in the genital organs.

How To Diagnose Prediabetes?

It can be diagnosed with the help of simple blood tests. The following tests can be conducted:

This is the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. The doctor advises eating nothing post-dinner the night before. Early morning after taking a blood sample, a glucose drink is given to the person. Two hours later, another blood sample is taken. If the blood glucose level after two hours comes between 144- 190 mg/dL, you have prediabetes.

This is similar to OGTT. After your dinner the night before, you are not supposed to eat anything. In the morning, a blood sample is taken. If the blood glucose comes between 100 and 125 mg/dL, you have prediabetes.

Treatment For Prediabetes

In most cases of prediabetes, lifestyle changes are recommended. Your doctor will guide you on how to improve the situation, but the following points are usually mentioned.

Weight loss, at less than five to 10%, can reduce the risks of developing diabetes. Those who are overweight or obese are more at risk of high sugar levels.

Eating a high fibre diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains is recommended to improve health.

Read More About 4 Best Foods for Diabetics

Many people feel that eating a low carbohydrate diet helps to reduce sugar levels. Replace carbs with protein to stay healthy.

Exercising helps to reduce blood glucose levels and improve mood. Even a 30-minute walk, five days a week can work wonders. Read more about the health benefits of exercise.

Complications

If left untreated, prediabetes can have serious complications. Apart from diabetes, the following complications can develop.

Read More About 9 Signs & Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Disclaimer: The information included at this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation

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