All Symptoms Matter With Type 2 Diabetes
I began having difficulty swallowing and started sweating excessively. These and other symptoms that I assumed were nothing serious and eventually disappeared would come back and lead to my type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Ignoring symptoms is common
How often have we ignored specific symptoms because we assumed they would disappear without intervention? I definitely ignored many symptoms. Some disappeared, and some came back.
I'm someone who dreads hearing negative news. I used to worry about going to the hospital because I didn't want to potentially receive a scary diagnosis. In turn, I would just take more medication and avoid the doctor. Maybe you're going through something similar or have in the past.
Difficulty swallowing
In my early 30s, I began experiencing discomfort while swallowing foods and even my saliva. At one point, it became so severe that I felt like I was about to choke whenever eating or drinking. But, at the time, I was afraid to see the doctor.
I figured I was pretty healthy. I ran track, was constantly exercising, and assumed it wasn't a problem. However, I have a family history of diabetes, but I never thought I would be diagnosed one day.
Building up the courage to see my doctor
When this symptom wouldn't go away, I got up the courage to visit a doctor. I didn't get a diagnosis right away. They prescribed some pills for heartburn and sent me on my way.
A few months later, I began sweating excessively and had difficulty swallowing again. As each day passed, it got worse. What started as sweating proceeded to exhaustion, and I was unable to complete any of the daily routines I was used to doing.
Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
I decided to see another doctor for a thorough check-up, and I was instantly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D). I won't say I didn't expect it because of my family history. I had always been an active person who was conscious of my diet and took care of myself. I didn't see this coming.
Over the years, I have managed to keep my T2D under control with medication and extreme lifestyle changes. My only regret is assuming that this would never happen to me because I was living a healthy lifestyle, exercising, and eating nutritious food. I wasn't getting regular check-ups because I assumed I was fine since I was active.
I learned to see my doctors regularly to catch any potential health issues early. Keeping my routine appointments ensures that signs of infection or discomfort are not ignored. As mine did, you should take immediate action to prevent symptoms from worsening.
If I hadn't assumed that the perspiration, exhaustion, and pain while swallowing was nothing, I might have been able to lessen the intensity of type 2 diabetes much earlier in life.
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