Diabetes type 2 symptoms: The ‘abnormal’ sensations in the feet that signal blood sugar

Type 2 diabetes is the net result of poor insulin production driving up blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar – the main type of sugar found in blood. Blood sugar performs many important functions in the body, such as supplying the cells with energy, but consistently high blood sugar levels can damage the body. The impaired ability to regulate blood sugar levels therefore puts diabetics at risk of serious complications.

AANEM explains: “First one may experience intermittent pain and tingling in extremities, particularly in the feet. In later stages, the pain is more intense and constant.

“In the last stage, all pain sensation is lost to an area. This greatly increases the risk of severe tissue injury because the patient can no longer detect pain to let them know they are injured.”

Keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range can help prevent many diabetes-related complications.

According to the Mayo Clinic, long-term complications of untreated hyperglycemia can include:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Kidney damage (diabetic nephropathy) or kidney failure
• Damage to the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness
• Clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye (cataract)
• Feet problems caused by damaged nerves or poor blood flow that can lead to serious skin infections, ulcerations, and in some severe cases, amputation
• Bone and joint problems
• Teeth and gum infections.

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“If blood sugar rises high enough or for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to two serious conditions,” warns the health body.

These include:

• Diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis develops when you don’t have enough insulin in your body. When this happens, sugar (glucose) can’t enter your cells for energy. Your blood sugar level rises, and your body begins to break down fat for energy.
• This process produces toxic acids known as ketones. Excess ketones accumulate in the blood and eventually “spill over” into the urine. Left untreated, diabetic ketoacidosis can lead to a diabetic coma and be life-threatening.
• Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state. This condition occurs when people produce insulin, but it doesn’t work properly. Blood glucose levels may become very high — greater than 1,000 mg/dL (55.6 mmol/L). Because insulin is present but not working properly, the body can’t use either glucose or fat for energy.
• Glucose is then spilled into the urine, causing increased urination. Left untreated, diabetic hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state can lead to life-threatening dehydration and coma. Prompt medical care is essential.

Considering the risks, it is imperative to get your symptoms checked out by a GP.

As the NHS points out, type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed following blood or urine tests for something else.

Drinking more water is a simple yet effective tip to aid blood sugar control.

“When your blood sugar levels are running high, your body will try to flush excess sugar out of your blood through the urine,” explains Diabetes.co.uk.

The health body continues: “As a result, your body will need more fluids to rehydrate itself. Drinking water can help the body with flushing out some of the glucose in the blood.

“Just a word of caution to be sensible with drinking water; water intoxication (which can result in death) is possible if a number of litres of water are drunk in a short space of time. This is rare and quite difficult to manage but it pays to be aware of this.”