High blood sugar often goes unnoticed, especially in its early stages.

Here are the symptoms you should probably know about.

The signs and symptoms of elevated blood sugar are easy to ignore, mistake or miss.

a photo of a man drinking a glass of water

Photo:Getty Images. EatingWell design.

This is especially true for throw in 2 diabetes, which can go undiagnosed for many years.

That’s 3.4% of the U.S. adult population.

Why are so many people in the dark?

Plus, high blood sugar develops gradually.

During early stages, its often not severe enough to be recognized by classic symptoms.

The good news is that early intervention can help, says Phipps.

Youre Always Thirsty and Need to Pee

Is your thirst unquenchable?

And are you making more frequent trips to the bathroom?

That loss of water and electrolytes increases thirst, so you continue to drink more.

However, sometimes, that glucose is unable to put in your cells.

Or the insulin that it makes is not being used efficiently.

Excessive hunger accompanied by weight loss can be an indication of diabetes, especially pop in 1 diabetes.

Youre Always Tired

Remember how your cells need glucose for fuel?

Without the proper fuel, you’ve got the option to feel very tired and fatigued.

However, those arent the only skin issues linked to high blood sugar.

So are sexual issues like loss of libido or erectile dysfunction in men and vaginal dryness in women.

We get glucose from carbohydrate-containing foods such as bread, rice, pasta, fruits and sugary foods.

Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, assists in moving glucose from the blood into the cells.

In some instances, it may even be possible toreverse diabetes.

If you suspect you have diabetes or prediabetes, dont wait.

The Bottom Line

Elevated blood sugar is not always accompanied by symptoms.

However, there are some sneaky signs to be aware of.

The first and most impactful change you might make is to assess your eating habits.

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