Signs You Have Diabetes Like Halle Berry

Halle Berry is one of many celebrities who live with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes. "I do feel at risk," Berry, 55, said in 2020 during the first stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. "I'm very strict about quarantining and who is in my bubble. We have a whole section of the house [where] when you go out in the world and buy something, it has to sit in this purgatory." Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

Obesity is very closely linked with diabetes, experts warn, but losing weight has been proven to help put type 2 diabetes into remission. "If you get people with obesity to recognize that obesity is not their fault and that we can help them be their best selves, that's important to hear," says Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA. "Most of the time, especially patients who have struggled with obesity, they hate going to the doctor because the doctors might tell them that they're doing something wrong or [that there is] something flawed about themselves… It is not acceptable for me not to treat their obesity. If I were to do that to someone who came in with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, I would lose my medical license."

If you find yourself starving not long after eating a meal, it could be a symptom of diabetes. "Even after you eat, you may still feel very hungry," according to Amy Hess-Fischl, MS, RD, LDN, BC-ADM, CDCES and Lisa M. Leontis RN, ANP-C. "That's because your muscles aren't getting the energy they need from the food; your body's insulin resistance keeps glucose from entering the muscle and providing energy. Therefore, the muscles and other tissues send a "hunger" message, trying to get more energy into the body."

Unexplained burning or tingling could be a sign of diabetes-related nerve damage. "Anyone with diabetes can get nerve damage at any time," says pain management specialist Robert Bolash, MD. "There is an association with very high levels of blood sugar and the development of diabetic neuropathy, but the two do not always go hand in hand."

Unexplained fatigue can be a sign of diabetes, doctors say. "Feeling fatigued is definitely a symptom of diabetes," says Nicole Justus, RN, BSN. "However, fatigue can also be a sign or symptom of many other diseases, so it is important that you talk to your doctor about any problems that you are having. Another reason that fatigue is a sign of diabetes is because of high blood sugar… There is a link between fatigue and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels). 61% of newly diagnosed people with Type 2 diabetes experience fatigue."

"Many people don't know they have high blood glucose levels until they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Often at this point, they've had it for some time," says endocrinologist Athena Philis-Tsimikas, MD. "You may not notice any symptoms, so it's important to get your blood sugar tested if you think you are at risk."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

According to the CDC, you are at risk of prediabetes if you:

• Are 45 years of age or older
• Are overweight
• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
• Have high blood pressure
• Are physically active fewer than three times per week
• Ever had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes) or gave birth to a baby that weighed more than nine pounds