Why am I so fatigued all the time? My eyes are getting worse and I'm always thirsty. I have to urinate all the time and sometimes I can't hold it. Also, I keep gaining weight when I don't eat high protein/low carb foods. Why can't I eat regular food like normal people? What's wrong with me?

Question

Why am I so fatigued all the time? My eyes are getting worse and I'm always thirsty. I have to urinate all the time and sometimes I can't hold it. Also, I keep gaining weight when I don't eat high protein/low carb foods. Why can't I eat regular food like normal people? What's wrong with me?

Answer

Your symptoms are typical of the early stages of sugar diabetes. If you are over 30 and have a family history of diabetes it makes the diagnosis almost certain. Diabetes, or more properly diabetes mellitus, is a life-long condition in which the body cannot use or store the fuel (sugar) produced by food. The unused sugar remains in the bloodstream, causing blood sugar levels to rise. These high levels of blood sugar can slowly damage both the small and large blood vessels in the body, resulting in a number of serious complications, even death. Diabetes can lead to kidney disease, blindness, heart disease, stroke or amputation of limbs caused by nerve damage.

Complications arising from diabetes are responsible for about 90% of all non-accident-related amputations. It is a chronic disease that has no cure, and is a leading cause of death in the industrialized world. The incidence of diabetes is increasing, largely due to the longer average life span, and partially due to changes in lifestyle that favor sedentary activities and obesity. While about 16 million Americans are diabetic, about one-third of them are unaware of their condition. So you can see that it's important to go to your physician for blood and urine tests.

Today, people with diabetes, if it's properly treated, can live healthy, active and rewarding lives. As researchers continue to explore the causes and treatments of this disease, there are promising new advances in the battle. See some of the links below.

Links

• HeathandAge.com's Diabetes Center
• Exercising your Options to Better Blood Glucose control
• Good Health Habits Reduce Diabetic Risk
• Pathways: the Novartis Journal