Signs You Have High Blood Sugar

According to the CDC, 37 million Americans have diabetes, yet 20% don't know it. Another 96 million adults in the country have prediabetes, and more than 80% are unaware of it.

Many healthcare providers classify diabetes as mild high blood sugar/early signs and symptoms or moderate-to-severe high blood sugar/later signs and symptoms. Early signs include:

1. Blurry vision. According to the American Optometric Association, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the retina, causing them to leak fluid into your eyes.
2. Fatigue. When we don't get the insulin we need, our cells also don't receive the energy required to keep us going. Without that energy boost, we feel tired.
3. Frequent urinary tract and yeast infections. According to the National Library of Medicine, yeast and bacteria feed on glucose, making people with diabetes more susceptible to these types of infections.
4. Hearing loss. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that, compared to people with normal blood sugar levels, people with prediabetes had 30% greater hearing loss. Of the 37 million American adults with diabetes, an estimated 34.5 million have experienced hearing loss.
5. Too many trips to the bathroom. Excess glucose forces your kidneys to work overtime. When kidneys are overworked, excess glucose is excreted into your urine, and you can become dehydrated. That's also why a sign of diabetes is increased thirst.

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