​10 Sneaky Diabetes Symptoms You Should Watch Out For​​ Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

10 Sneaky Signs of Diabetes

Symptoms from mood swings to vision problems to skin tags can signal diabetes

Tom Werner / Getty Images Many Americans are familiar with the hallmark symptoms of , such as increased thirst and frequent urination. But doctors say there are several lesser-known signs of the disease, and they sometimes emerge before the typical symptoms. Becoming familiar with those subtler signs can help you catch the disease early. That’s important because the earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat and manage, says Mandeep Bajaj, M.D., professor at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of endocrinology at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. About 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Remarkably, 1 in 5 don’t know they have it, the CDC says. “All of these undiagnosed people walking around with diabetes are at greater risk of complications,” Bajaj says, such as chronic kidney disease, heart disease and stroke, as well as nerve, vision and hearing problems. Controlling your blood sugar through lifestyle changes, medications or insulin injections, however, can delay or prevent those problems. A primary care physician can diagnose diabetes with a simple blood test. National guidelines call for patients over age 45 to be screened for type 2 diabetes at least every three years, but experts say you should ask your doctor to test you sooner if you have any signs or symptoms. In addition to excessive thirst and frequent urination, here are some other indicators of diabetes or :

1 Chronic yeast infections

High blood sugar from diabetes impairs the immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off infections. Chronic vaginal yeast infections are particularly common in women with untreated diabetes because the extra sugar in their blood encourages yeast to grow, says Mark Guido, M.D., an endocrinologist with Novant Health Forsyth Endocrine Consultants in Winston Salem, N.C. Other types of recurrent infections — such as skin, bladder and — can also indicate diabetes. Bajaj says primary care doctors don’t always think about the link between chronic infections and diabetes. So if you have repeat infections, he recommends that you ask to be screened.

2 Blurred vision

If it seems like you need frequent updates to your eyeglass prescription, you may want to get tested for diabetes. When your blood sugar levels change quickly, it can cause the lens of your eyes to get cloudy or swell, creating “People think they need to change their glasses, but actually it may be a sign of diabetes,” Bajaj says. If left untreated, diabetes damages blood vessels in the back of the eye and can cause cataracts, glaucoma and blindness. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. found that about 66 percent of men with type 2 diabetes experienced performance issues, and men with diabetes are about 3.5 times more likely to experience erectile dysfunction compared to men without the disease. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > Other studies show that both men and women with poorly managed diabetes report a . Researchers believe inflammation caused by diabetes may affect the part of the brain that controls sexual desire, according to the American Diabetes Association. Low levels of testosterone may also play a role.

4 Nausea or constipation

High blood sugar can slow the digestive process, making you feel nauseous, constipated or sick to your stomach, Bajaj says. “You think you have stomach flu, go to the doctor, get some labs, and it turns out your glucose is super high,” Bajaj says. A typical gastrointestinal illness usually lasts no more than two or three days. If you have nausea, constipation or vomiting that lasts longer, something else is likely causing the problem, Bajaj says, and a diabetes screen should be part of the doctor’s workup.

5 A cut that is slow to heal

If you get a cut or scrape that seems to be taking forever to heal, diabetes may be the culprit. The extra sugar in your blood when you’re diabetic is known to slow wound healing, leaving you vulnerable to infection, Guido says. For that reason, surgeons often require patients to undergo diabetes testing before they have surgery, and that can lead to a diabetes diagnosis, Guido says. “It’s not uncommon for an older adult who needs knee surgery to end up finding out they have diabetes through the pre-op screening,” he says.

6 Mood changes

If you find you’re more irritable, or your family complains about your mood swings, that can be another indicator of diabetes. Diabetes also causes fatigue, which can increase moodiness. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. published in the journal BMC Research Notes found that 59 percent of those with skin tags had diabetes, compared to only 13 percent of those without skin tags. Researchers aren’t entirely clear about the mechanism by which diabetes causes skin tags, but they believe high levels of insulin are to blame. “Insulin resistance sets off growth factors that causes things to grow and change,” Guido says. Michelle Crouch is a contributing writer who has covered health and personal finance for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Real Simple, Prevention, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Early Signs of Type 2 Diabetes More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS