How Do You Know if You Have Diabetes? The Surprising Symptoms Every Woman Should Know

If you’ve been feeling more tired than usual, running to the bathroom at all hours or noticing that small cuts seem to take forever to heal, you could be dealing with early signs of diabetes and not even realize it. Nearly half of all adults in the United States have either prediabetes or diabetes, according to the CDC. And of the 40 million Americans living with the condition, 8.7 million don’t even know they have it, the American Diabetes Association reports. So how do you know if you have diabetes? Here’s what doctors want every woman to understand.

What diabetes actually is

Diabetes is a condition where your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it effectively, causing sugar to build up in your bloodstream instead of fueling your cells. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are more common. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition that usually strikes young and requires lifelong insulin. The most common form, type 2, is largely driven by insulin resistance and affects roughly 15 percent of adults—and nearly 30 percent of people over 65.

There’s also prediabetes, which currently affects 97.6 million American adults. Think of it as a warning bell before things progress.

“Blood sugar affects nearly every system in the body. Highs and lows can leave you tired, irritable, foggy, even depressed,” says endocrinologist Hayley Miller, MD, medical director of Nurx Weight Management. “Long-term, high blood sugars can damage the eyes, kidneys and nerves.” She adds that diabetes tends to be especially hard on women’s heart health.

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How do you know if you have diabetes? 11 sneaky symptoms

The classic symptoms of high blood sugar include increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained fatigue, blurred vision, headaches and unintentional weight loss. But in the early stages, the signs can be surprisingly subtle—especially for women.

Sanjay Dixit, MD, medical director of cardiometabolic endocrine and wellness clinical solutions at Quest Diagnostics, says common symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

• Excessive thirst
• Excessive urination
• Unintentional weight loss 
• Blurred vision

“But these symptoms are usually associated with undiagnosed, severe type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Dixit explains. Sneakier symptoms of diabetes women should pay attention to include:

• Frequent UTIs. High blood sugar levels create conditions where bacteria flourish, and diabetes can weaken your immune system response.
• Recurring yeast infections
• Worsening menopause symptoms. Hot flashes, fatigue and sleep issues can be intensified by elevated glucose.
• Tingling in fingers or toes. This can signal early nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy.
• Slow-healing cuts. About 25 percent of people with diabetes experience slower wound healing.
• Darkened, velvety patches on the back of the neck or in skin folds—a condition called acanthosis nigricans—often signal insulin resistance, says dermatologist Viktoryia Kazlouskaya, MD.
• Stubborn skin infections

One risk factor worth noting: A history of gestational diabetes can raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by seven to 10-fold.

How diabetes is diagnosed

The only way to know for sure is a simple blood test at your doctor’s office to check your blood glucose levels. Dr. Dixit recommends asking about three key screenings:

• Fasting blood glucose test: A reading below 100 mg/dL is normal. Between 100 and 125 mg/dL signals prediabetes, while above 126 mg/dL suggests diabetes.
• A1C test: This measures your average blood sugar over three months. Below 5.7 percent is normal, 5.7 to 6.4 is prediabetes and 6.5 or higher points to diabetes.
• Glucose tolerance test: Measures how your body handles sugar over a few hours.

“Regular screenings help catch type 2 diabetes early, which is when treatment is most effective,” Dr. Dixit says. Certain symptoms need urgent attention, though. Family medicine physician Brynna Connor, MD, warns that in people with type 1 diabetes, high blood sugar can escalate into diabetic ketoacidosis—a life-threatening emergency. Red flags for this health problem include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, labored breathing, fruity-smelling breath, rapid heartbeat and confusion. If you spot these, call 911.

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How to manage diabetes

The good news? Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are often manageable—and sometimes reversible—with lifestyle tweaks. “Early lifestyle changes, like increasing physical activity, improving nutrition and managing stress, can dramatically reduce the risk of [prediabetes] progressing to type 2 diabetes,” says Soma Mandal, MD, a board-certified internist and women’s health specialist.

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Beyond the basics—follow a balanced diet, get regular physical activity and lose weight, if needed—there are a few surprising tricks worth trying:

• Sip chia water. Stirring 1 tablespoon of chia seeds into 2 cups of water and letting it gel for 10 minutes creates a fiber-rich drink that helps blunt blood sugar spikes.
• Snack on peanuts. A handful before a carb-heavy meal can improve your insulin response by up to 55 percent.
• Laugh often. Research in Diabetes Care found that hearty laughter suppressed post-meal blood sugar surges by 48 percent.

The bottom line on how to know if you have diabetes

Knowing the early signs and symptoms of diabetes is crucial. “When our blood sugar is within a normal range, we not only feel better, but we also significantly reduce our risk of health complications,” Dr. Miller says. If any of these signs sound familiar, don’t wait—schedule a checkup and give yourself the gift of knowing.

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