I am 52, with excess thirst and weight loss. Is it diabetes?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 52-year-old woman who has been feeling incredibly thirsty and urinating much more frequently than normal, sometimes getting up 4 to 5 times during the night. I have also been experiencing unexpected weight loss despite having a good appetite, and I feel tired and weak most days, even after getting enough sleep.

Recently, I have noticed that small cuts and bruises on my skin take much longer to heal than they used to, and sometimes I get blurry vision. My mother and grandmother both had diabetes, and I have been overweight for several years, so I am starting to worry that I might be developing the same condition.

Could these symptoms mean I have type 2 diabetes, and how much do my family history and weight contribute to this risk?

Kindly advise.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Yes, you are thinking in the right direction. These symptoms, such as increased thirst (polydipsia), increased urination (polyuria), and delayed wound healing, do point towards type 2 diabetes mellitus. Since you already have a family history of diabetes, your risk is higher because it can be inherited.

The screening test for diabetes is random blood sugar (RBS). However, since you are experiencing symptoms, I would suggest the following measures:

Fasting blood sugar (FBS).
Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c).
Postprandial blood sugar (PPBS).

HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar levels over the past 90 days. It is a very important test; values between 6% and 6.4% indicate prediabetes, and values of 6.5% or above indicate diabetes. All these are blood tests. FBS and HbA1c require a fasting sample (fasting for at least 10 to 12 hours), and PPBS is taken two hours after a meal.

If you fall in the diabetic range, additional tests are recommended, such as an eye examination and serum creatinine levels, since diabetes can affect both the kidneys and the retina. You will also be advised on following a diabetic diet. Please follow up with your blood reports.

Also, increased urination could be worsened by weakness of the bladder muscles or pelvic floor muscles, leading to poor urinary control. If the tests are negative, you should still maintain a healthy diet due to your high genetic risk of diabetes, which is approximately 40 percent.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at iCliniq.

Thank you.