Early symptoms of diabetes other than “three excesses and one deficiency”?

Early symptoms of diabetes:

Classic symptoms of diabetes include “three excesses and one deficiency”, which are relatively easy to attract people’s attention. However, many diabetics do not have obvious “three excesses and one deficiency” symptoms, and these typical early symptoms of diabetes are often overlooked, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. In order to detect, diagnose, and treat early, it is necessary to recognize the following symptoms:

1. Painless myocardial infarction. When the body’s metabolism is disordered due to diabetes, it often coexists with coronary heart disease. Diabetic neuropathy causes a decrease in pain perception, so it often does not show typical angina symptoms. Acute myocardial infarction is often painless, but it is manifested by severe arrhythmias, heart failure, and cardiogenic shock; with shortness of breath, purple skin, pale face, cold sweats, delirious, and repeated fainting.
2. Orthostatic hypotension. Due to diabetic autonomic neuropathy, vascular dilation and constriction functions are often disturbed. When sitting or lying down for a long time and suddenly standing up, the blood vessels cannot contract reflexively, leading to a drop in blood pressure, temporary cerebral ischemia, dizziness, blurred vision, syncope, or sudden falls.
3. Chronic diarrhea. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy can affect gastrointestinal function, causing intestinal dysfunction and leading to chronic diarrhea, often characterized by watery stools or loose, incomplete stools. Most patients do not experience abdominal pain or bloody stools. Therefore, if you have persistent abdominal bloating and diarrhea that does not respond to treatment, and gastrointestinal examinations are normal, you should consider the possibility of diabetes.
4. Recurrent urinary tract infections. Diabetic patients have a decreased immune system, and due to “diabetic bladder,” urine retention is common. The urine in diabetic patients contains more sugar (a good culture medium for bacteria), making patients prone to recurrent urinary tract infections. Symptoms can include frequent urination, urgency, and discomfort during urination.
5. Lower extremity sensory abnormalities. When diabetes affects peripheral nerves, it can cause peripheral neuropathy. Early symptoms include symmetrical lower extremity sensory abnormalities. It can also manifest as numbness, burning, crawling sensation, or a sensation of walking on cotton padding in the hands and feet. Long-term complications can include muscle atrophy in the lower extremities, leading to weakness and difficulty walking.
6. Vision loss. Diabetes can affect both eyes, causing cataracts and diabetic retinopathy, which can impact vision. Forty-seven percent of diabetes patients develop cataracts, so cataract patients should also have their blood sugar tested to rule out diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy has a severe impact on vision and its incidence increases with disease duration and age. Middle-aged and elderly people should be fully aware of these symptoms. If they appear, they should go to the hospital for a blood sugar test to prevent potential complications.