A leading pharmacist has spoken about the ‘rather unusual’ symptoms of type 2 diabetes, a condition where your blood sugar levels aren’t properly regulated.
A pharmacist has revealed some of the more “unusual” symptoms of type 2 diabetes, including a weird smell coming off of someone’s breath. Superintendent pharmacist Hussain Abdeh spoke to Express.co.uk about the different symptoms of high and low blood sugar levels, which can be a sign of diabetes.
The expert said: “I wanted to highlight a rather unusual symptom of diabetes – fruity-smelling breath.” Abdeh said that fruity breath can be an indicator of high ketone levels, which requires attention from a health professional to figure out what’s going on.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explained that ketones, which is an acid, happens when the body is breaking down fat for fuel. If your body doesn’t have enough insulin to break down the glucose in your blood, then these fat cells are starved of energy.
In order to compensate, your body then uses the liver to break down fat for fuel – and the by-product is ketones. The expert said that this process could “occur if you have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes”.
The pharmacist added: “You may have a very dry mouth at the same time and also experience an extreme thirst. You might find that you need to urinate more often than normal; this can also be a sign of high blood sugar levels.”
Also for those with low blood sugar levels, mood swings can become more common, and could be a sign of the disease. The expert explained: “If you are feeling irritable, aggressive, or confused for no known reason, these may be signs of low blood sugar. Some people may also experience coordination problems or find it hard to make decisions.
“Some people with low blood sugar may also feel mild euphoria, which may feel like you are a bit drunk.”
Abdeh added: “Alternatively if you have high blood sugar levels, you may feel nervous or fatigued. The changes in blood sugar levels can have an impact on your mood, which normally goes away when your levels return to normal.”
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, you should speak with your doctor to find out what’s going on with your body.
