Wasim Akram opens up about the first signs of diabetes he noticed before being diagnosed

Pakistan's cricket legend, Wasim Akram was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1997 while he was still playing. Recently in a podcast, the former cricketer talked about the first symptoms he experienced before he was medically diagnosed.

"I started losing weight, my vision was a bit blurred, I was thirsty all the time, I was urinating a lot", Wasim Akram said. His father advised him to take a blood sugar test after which he was medically diagnosed with diabetes.

Wasim Akram reveals the early signs of diabetes he experienced

During a recent podcast appearance, Pakistan's former cricketer Wasim Akram talked about the symptoms of diabetes he faced before diagnosis. During the conversation, the 59-year old spoke about the lack of awareness regarding diabetes in the 90s.

When Wasim Akram's father advised him to get his blood sugar checked, he had no idea what his father was talking about. The former cricketer, who now works to spread awareness about diabetes, revealed that after initial detection, his blood sugar turned out to be extremely high.

Wasim Akram said, "Usually, your diabetes is normal, like you guys are 100 and 110. Mine was 450". With such high levels, his doctor prescribed him to take insulin. He added that the diagnosis had been both mentally and physically challenging which also affected his game.

Opening up about the challenges of having diabetes while being a player, Wasim said that it was "tough" for the initial couple of years. His doctor allowed him to play cricket if he could keep his sugar levels in check, which the former cricketer said, was difficult.

"It's very difficult to control your levels when you're travelling. And when you don't have any awareness, what to eat, what not to eat, what to drink. And...when I joined Pakistan team after being diagnosed, first three-four weeks were very tough", Wasim Akram shared.

Wasim Akram acknowledged the support he refused during the difficult phase. His late wife, Huma, who was a psychologist had helped him get through it. He also said his teammates had all come together to support him.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, auto-immune disease. This condition stops the pancreas from creating insulin, and requires regular monitoring.

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