Symptoms of Diabetes

Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes often gets undiagnosed as most of its symptoms are harmless. Recent research shows that the early detection of symptoms of diabetes and treating them can lessen the chance of having the complications of diabetes.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

  1. Urinating frequently
  2. Extreme fatigue and irritability
  3. Etreme hunger
  4. Unusual thirst
  5. Unusual weight loss

    Type 2 Diabetes

    1. Symptoms same as type 1 diabetes
    2. Frequent infections
    3. Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
    4. Cuts taking time to heal
    5. Blurred vision
    6. Numbness in the hands/feet

    Usually people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms.

    Common Symptoms of Both Types of Diabetes

    • Excessive Thirst: A person having diabetes creates high blood sugar levels that beat up the kidney's ability to reabsorb the sugar as the blood is filtered to produce urine. More urine is made as the kidney spills the excess sugar. The body counteracts this by sending a signal to the brain for blood dilution, which translates into thirst. The body persuades more water consumption to dilute the high blood sugar to normal levels and compensate for the water lost by excessive urination.
    • Fatigue: In diabetes, the body is inefficient and cannot use glucose for fuel. The body changes over to metabolizing fat, completely or partially, as a fuel source. This needs the body to have more energy. The end result is feeling fatigued or constantly tired.
    • Excessive Eating: If the body is stable, it will produce more insulin to deal with the excessive blood sugar levels. The body is resistant to the insulin action in type 2 diabetes. One of insulin function is to increase hunger. Higher insulin levels lead to increase in hunger and eating. In spite of increased intake of calories, the person can gain little weight and may even lose weight.
    • Unexplained Weight Loss: People with diabetes cannot process much of the calories in the foods they consume. They may lose weight even though they eat an apparently right or even excessive amount of food. Losing water and sugar in the urine with dehydration can contribute to weight loss.
    • Infections: Some infection disorders like frequent urinary tract infections, frequent yeast infections of the genitals can result from suppression of immune system by diabetes and with the presence of glucose in the tissues, that lets bacteria to grow properly. They can be an indicator of weak blood sugar control in an individual who has diabetes.
    • Excess Urination: The body tries to get rid of extra sugar in the blood for excreting it in the urine. This leads to dehydration as while excreting the sugar, the body throws large amount of water out of the body with it.
    • Poor Wound Healing: High blood sugar levels stop white blood cells that are necessary to defend the body against bacteria and also in cleaning the dead tissue and cells from functioning normally. When such cells fail to function properly, wounds might take longer time to heal and can get infected more frequently. Also, diabetes that is long-standing is related with thickening of blood vessels, preventing good circulation that includes the delivery of enough oxygen and other nutrients to body tissues.

    The most constant symptom of diabetes mellitus (Type I and II) is high blood sugar levels. In type I diabetes, it is caused by the body that does not produce enough insulin that can properly regulate blood sugar. Type II which is adult onset diabetes, it is created due to body developing resistance to insulin, so it cannot use properly what it produces. While the signs and symptoms of diabetes can be related with other causes, diagnosing for diabetes can be very easy, and if you experience constant presence of more than one of these symptoms over a particular period of time, then you must visit the doctor. Regular check with the help of gluco watch makes the patient aware about the diabetes occurrence.

    If known, tested, and diagnosed after those symptoms of diabetes first appeared, then other more serious symptoms of advanced diabetes can be prevented or have their onset properly delayed through exercise, diet and proper blood sugar management.