Consistently high levels of blood sugar indicate diabetes, which is categorized as two types. Type 1 diabetes results when the pancreas loses its ability to produce insulin; type 2 is caused by insulin resistance, due to the increased amounts of insulin required in order to lower blood sugar levels. Both types of diabetes manifest with flu-like symptoms that are mainly caused by dehydration.
Dehydration
Insulin removes sugar from the bloodstream, regulating blood sugar levels to prevent excessive levels of glucose in the blood. A diabetic's body does not perform this function correctly, and excess sugar must be filtered out of the bloodstream by the kidneys. The kidneys pull fluid from the body's tissues to excrete excess sugar, resulting in frequent urination that leads to dehydration.
Headaches
Headaches are common flu symptoms usually due to fever and dehydration, but are diabetes symptoms as well. Headaches in diabetics are linked to dehydration caused by high blood sugar levels, and range in severity from mild to migraine-level pain.
Irritability
Irritability in diabetes arises from changes in blood sugar levels as well as dehydration, and the general feeling of being unwell that are associated with flu infection. This symptom is most evident in poorly controlled or undiagnosed diabetes cases.
Weight Loss
Losing weight due to decreased appetite and lack of activity from the flu is similar to that of undiagnosed diabetes. A diabetic loses weight due to the body's inability to access sugar in the blood; sugar and calories in food are excreted in urine rather than used for energy and weight maintenance, causing the patient's weight to drop.
Weakness
Weakness and fatigue are common in both flu sufferers and diabetics. Flu patients feel lethargic and run down; these symptoms are also present in diabetics. As diabetes impedes the body's ability to properly use calories from food to create energy for the body, prolonged tiredness and a feeling of overall body weakness result. Dehydration caused by diabetes also increases weakness and fatigue in diabetics.
Tags: blood sugar, blood sugar levels, sugar levels, excess sugar, undiagnosed diabetes