Have you suddenly lost a lot of weight, even though you aren’t actively exercising or going on a diet? Are you concerned about sudden weight loss in your loved one? There may be a contributing explanation for this phenomenon.
As a metabolic disease, diabetes can affect the way your body controls important levels of substances within the body, most significantly glucose. If you are experiencing sudden weight loss, a diabetes diagnosis may be in your future.
Our experts at the office of Dr. Gura, certified kidney specialist and internist, want you to have all the info about why diabetes contributes to weight loss, and what some of the other symptoms of diabetes are so you can get one step closer to solving your sudden weight loss problems. If you are suffering from other health-related symptoms as well, it’s important to schedule an appointment with us right away.
How Diabetes Works
Understanding how diabetes can make you lose weight is the key to knowing whether or not you are dealing with this health issue. Since diabetes is a metabolic disease, it makes the body unable to control its levels of blood sugar. Glucose is what the body uses for energy, and it is moved through the blood cells by the insulin hormone.
Those with diabetes don’t have proper insulin levels, or they can’t use insulin naturally, so glucose has trouble moving through the body. This means that blood sugar levels can get dangerously high.
But, how does this make you lose weight?
If glucose doesn’t move through blood cells, the cells get no energy. They send a message to the brain, which interprets it as a hunger trigger. That’s why people with diabetes often experience unending hunger.
Diabetes.co.uk explains that just because you feel hungry all the time, doesn’t mean that eating more is the solution to the problem. That just means that you are creating even more glucose you can’t lose. Since your blood cells aren’t getting energy from glucose like they normally would, the body resorts to desperate measures, which includes breaking down fat and muscle cells to get energy. This is why you will lose so much weight.
However, it is clear that this is not a healthy weight loss, and it is a sign of untreated diabetes.
Diabetes Symptoms to Look Out For
There are other symptoms of diabetes that may accompany the unexpected weight loss. Some of these symptoms include:
- Excessive thirst and hunger
- Increased urinating
- Kidney pain or problems
- Blurred vision
- Fatigue
- Numbness in limbs
- Infections often
- Sores that are slow to heal
If you are experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, you may need to visit a specialist to get diagnosed with diabetes right away. When left untreated, diabetes can be very harmful to your health and can produce fatal results.
Why Healthy Weight is Important
According to KidsHealth, a better weight leads to more energy and healthier bodily functions. A good weight means the glucose levels in the body are being regulated properly, and there are no issues with blood sugar or insulin production.
Diabetes is a condition that can lead to the development of other serious issues as well, such as heart disease, lung problems, and overall poor health. You also may not be able to eat the things you enjoy eating anymore, especially if they are full of sugar or high calories.
Schedule Your Diabetes Appointment ASAP
At the office of Dr. Gura, we place importance on the diagnosis. The earlier you can be diagnosed for diabetes, the better you can be treated for it. The best way to relieve your symptoms is to invest in long-term healthcare that can get your body back on track.
For more information, or to get in touch with us, you can contact us online or give us a call at (310) 550-6240 to book an appointment.