In many cases, pre-diabetes symptoms are non-existent. This can be dangerous for the people who have it, because pre-diabetes can quickly turn into type 2 diabetes if certain steps aren't taken to prevent it. When pre-diabetes symptoms are present, they may seem like milder versions of the symptoms that typically go along with type 2 diabetes. Excessive thirst, hunger, and urination are some symptoms of type 2 diabetes that a person with pre-diabetes may also experience. Additionally, a person might notice that she has been mysteriously losing weight and that she is getting sick more often than usual.
People with pre-diabetes might feel a little bit thirstier and hungrier than normal because of the increased frequency of urination. When a person has pre-diabetes, glucose is not getting cleaned out of the bloodstream effectively, and the excess amounts tend to come out in the urine. This causes a person to urinate more often and may result in dehydration as well. The hunger symptoms relating to pre-diabetes are typically a result of the fact that glucose isn't entering into the body's cells, which can result in a person feeling sick and hungry, because the person is not getting the nutrition needed in spite of how much food is eaten. Weight loss may also occur as a result of this.
Other common pre-diabetes symptoms might include frequent infections and sores that do not seem to heal as quickly as they did in the past. The reason sores may take longer to heal is probably due to a reduction in the quality of the blood, resulting from the body's inability to absorb glucose into the cells. People with pre-diabetes might experience more infections than usual because of a compromised immune system. A person who experiences all of the pre-diabetes symptoms may not necessarily have either pre-diabetes or even type 2 diabetes, but it is likely that tests should be administered as soon as possible. The sooner a person knows he has pre-diabetes, the sooner he can start taking steps to prevent it from turning into type 2 diabetes.
Most doctors use a fasting blood test to determine if patients have pre-diabetes or diabetes. The patient will typically have to go without food for a number of hours prior to the test so that the doctor can get an accurate blood sugar reading. Levels between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter indicate pre-diabetes. Levels that are higher than that indicate diabetes. It will probably be necessary for a doctor to perform more than one fasting blood test to be sure that a patient's blood sugar levels are consistently staying high before making a final diagnosis.