Diabetes has been a pandemic, and Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) is the most common (>90%) variety. It starts with prediabetes, where there will be a slight rise in blood glucose, and the person might not experience any symptoms that make them think of an underlying medical condition.

These subtle changes, such as insulin resistance, impair the body’s ability to deal with glucose and fat metabolism, and may persist for as long as 6 years before high glucose levels appear in the tests. There might be very vague symptoms like feeling tired, slightly thirsty, passing urine a tad more frequently, getting minor infections on the skin like thrush, etc., which would generally be attributed to the general hectic nature of one’s work or busy life, etc., rather than to a new diagnosis of diabetes if the suspicion or awareness is not there.

In a developing country like India, there are parts of states with limited access to diagnostic testing and probably less availability of health education and medical facilities that could have helped recognize symptoms earlier. Dr. Bhanu Praveen Naidu, Consultant – Endocrinology, Manipal Hospital shares why does diabetes go unnoticed.

Once glucose levels reach higher levels, a person experiences ‘Osmotic symptoms’, for ex, sudden and significant weight loss, severe thirst, making the person drink more water and to pass more urine, getting up frequently at night due to increased urinary frequency.

In some, this situation might present with a major event like a heart attack, brain stroke, nerve damage, kidney or eye damage, by the time they realize that they have been suffering from diabetes all along.

The incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes is rising, and even worrying is that it is occurring at a relatively young age. So, it’s the need of the hour to spread the awareness of its symptoms, complications, and the need for early screening and referral for lifestyle changes and medical management.

(This article is based on information available in the public domain and on input provided by experts consulted.)