Diabetes symptoms: The sign in your hands or fingers – it doesn’t affect your pinkie

Diabetes UK predicts that, “If nothing changes, 5.5 million people will have diabetes in the UK by 2030”. Diabetes could be one of the big health challenges post-COVID-19. The charity says, “Around 90 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes”.It’s crucial then, to know the symptoms so you can get treatment sooner.

Of these, mononeuropathy, can cause several symptoms, including a numbness or tingling in your hands.

Specifically, it can affect all of your fingers apart from your pinkie finger.

Other symptoms of mononeuropathy, also known as focal neuropathy, include:
• Aching behind one eye
• Difficulty focussing
• Double vision
• Weakness in your hand
• Paralysis on one side of your face

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The NHS advises that you could see a doctor in certain circumstances.
It advises that you should see your GP if you experience what it describes as the main symptoms of diabetes:
• Blurred vision
• Cuts or wounds that heal slowly
• Thirst
• Feeling very tired
• Weight loss
• Loss of muscle bulk
• Frequent urination, notably at night
• Itching around your genitalia or repeated episodes of thrush

Side effects include bloating and diarrhoea, weight loss or weight gain, feeling nauseous (sick) and swelling in some parts of your body.

This swelling, says the NHS, is as a result of a build up of fluid under your skin.

Maintaining a healthy diet and trying to stay fit will help you manage your blood sugar level.

Increasing your physical activity in tandem with a healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to help manage your blood sugar level and improve your health.