5 quiet signs of prediabetes you shouldn't ignore

You might expect diabetes to announce itself with sudden, noticeable symptoms, but elevated blood sugar usually creeps up quietly. Before type 2 diabetes develops, many people experience prediabetes — a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a diabetes diagnosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults have prediabetes, and over 80% don’t know it. 

Because subtle changes are so easy to miss, catching prediabetes early is essential to preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes.

"One of the biggest challenges with prediabetes is that many people feel completely healthy," says Payal Parikh, MD, family medicine physician at Endeavor Health. "That's why we don't want people to wait until symptoms become obvious. If you have risk factors or notice changes in your health, a simple screening can help identify problems early, when lifestyle changes can have the greatest impact."

If you notice any of the following five subtle warning signs, talk with your physician about a diabetes screening:

1. You’re always tired. Everyone feels tired from time to time, but if you’re consistently feeling drained, even after getting enough sleep, it warrants attention. When blood sugar levels are elevated, your body may have trouble using glucose for energy. This can leave you feeling drained. Fatigue can have many causes, so feeling tired doesn’t necessarily mean you have prediabetes or diabetes. If your fatigue is persistent or unexplained, talk with your physician.
    

2. You’re thirsty and using the bathroom more often. Feeling unusually thirsty or needing to use the bathroom more often than usual, especially at night, can be an early warning sign of high blood sugar. When there is too much glucose in your blood, your kidneys work harder to remove the excess through your urine. As glucose leaves your body, it pulls water with it, causing you to lose fluids. This can lead to increased thirst and more frequent trips to the bathroom. These symptoms are more commonly associated with diabetes than prediabetes, but they are worth discussing with your physician if they are new or persistent.

    

3. Your vision seems blurry. Blurry vision isn’t always caused by too much screen time or a lack of sleep. Changes in blood sugar levels can affect the amount of fluid in your eyes, which may temporarily change your vision. If you notice your vision becoming blurry and then returns to normal, talk with your physician. These changes could be a sign that your blood sugar levels are fluctuating.
    
4. You’re losing weight without trying. Unexpected weight loss can be another sign that your body isn’t using glucose properly for energy. When your body cannot use glucose effectively, it may break down fat and muscle for energy instead. This can lead to weight loss without a change in your diet, exercise routine or lifestyle. Unexplained weight loss can have many causes, so it’s important to talk with your physician if you notice a significant or unexplained change.
    
5. You don’t notice any symptoms, but you have risk factors. You may feel completely normal. Prediabetes often has no obvious symptoms, which means you may have elevated blood sugar without knowing it. That’s why regular health screenings are important, particularly if you have risk factors for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Risk factors include:
   • Being age 55 or older
   • Having a family history of type 2 diabetes
   • Being overweight
   • Being physically inactive
   • Having a history of gestational diabetes
   • Having high blood pressure

If you have risk factors for prediabetes or are concerned about your blood sugar, talk with your physician about whether you should be screened. A simple blood test can help determine whether your blood sugar levels are in the normal range, in the prediabetes range, or in the diabetes range. Want to learn if you’re at risk for diabetes? Take our quick online DiabetesAware assessment.

The good news is that prediabetes doesn’t have to lead to type 2 diabetes. Making healthy lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet, staying physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight can help lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

If you notice changes in your health or have concerns about your blood sugar, don’t wait for symptoms to become obvious. Talk with your primary care physician about your risk and whether diabetes screening is right for you.