Understanding Diabetes Symptoms and Warning Signs

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or cannot use it effectively, leading to high blood sugar levels. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to serious health complications such as heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney failure. In this article, we’ll explore the symptoms of diabetes, how to recognize them, and what you should do if you suspect you have the condition.

Common Symptoms of Diabetes

The symptoms of diabetes can vary depending on the type of diabetes and how advanced the condition is. However, some of the most common symptoms include:

• Frequent urination
• Increased thirst
• Unexplained weight loss
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue or weakness
• Slow healing sores or infections
• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet

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Recognizing the Warning Signs

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, it’s important to take note and seek medical attention. However, some warning signs may be more subtle and require extra attention. These include:

• Increased hunger: You may find yourself feeling hungry even after eating a full meal.
• Changes in mood: Diabetes can affect your mental health, leading to irritability or mood swings.
• Recurrent infections: People with diabetes are more prone to infections such as yeast infections, urinary tract infections, and skin infections.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is at risk for developing diabetes?

While anyone can develop diabetes, some factors may increase your risk, including family history, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. People over the age of 45 are also at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.

2. How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diabetes can be diagnosed through blood tests that measure your blood sugar levels. Your doctor may also order a hemoglobin A1c test, which measures your average blood sugar levels over the past three months.

3. Can diabetes be prevented?

While there is no guaranteed way to prevent diabetes, making healthy lifestyle choices such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce your risk.

In conclusion, recognizing the symptoms and warning signs of diabetes is crucial in preventing potential health complications. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical attention and get tested for diabetes. By working closely with your healthcare team, you can manage your condition and prevent future health issues.

TAGS: Diabetes, Blood Sugar Levels, Insulin

Diabetes Symptoms

The following symptoms of diabetes are typical. However, some people with diabetes have symptoms so mild that they go unnoticed. Common symptoms of diabetes: Urinating often Feeling very thirsty Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating Extreme fatigue Blurry vision Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal Weight loss—even though you are eating more (type 1) Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2) Early detection and treatment of diabetes can decrease the risk of developing the complications of diabetes. Although there are many similarities between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the cause of each is very different. And the treatment is usually quite different, too. Some people, especially adults who are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, may have symptoms similar to type 2 diabetes and this overlap between types can be confusing. Take our Risk Test to find out if you are at increased risk for having type 2 diabetes. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes onset in an infant or child The young child who is urinating frequently, drinking large quantities, losing weight, and becoming more and more tired and ill is the classic picture of a child with new-onset type 1 diabetes. If a child who is potty-trained and dry at night starts having accidents and wetting the bed again, diabetes might be the culprit. Although it is easy to make the diagnosis diabetes in a child by checking blood sugar at the doctor’s office or emergency room, the tricky part is recognizing the symptoms and knowing to take the child to get checked. Raising the awareness that young children, including infants, can get type 1 diabetes can help parents know when to check for type 1 diabetes. Sometimes children can be in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) when they are diagnosed with diabetes. When there is a lack of insulin in the body, the body can build up high levels of an acid called ketones. DKA is a medical emergency that usually requires hospitalization and immediate care with insulin and IV fluids. After diagnosis and early in treatment, some children may go through a phase where they seem to be making enough insulin again. This is commonly called the “honeymoon phase”. It may seem like diabetes has been cured, but over time they will require appropriate doses of insulin to keep their blood sugar levels in the normal range. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes onset in adults When an adult is diagnosed with diabetes, they are often mistakenly told that they have type 2 diabetes. This is because there is still a lack of an understanding in the medical community that type 1 diabetes can start at any age. It can also be tricky because some adults with new-onset type 1 diabetes are often not sick at first. Their doctor finds an elevated blood sugar level at a routine visit and starts them on diet, exercise and an oral medication. On the other hand, there are people who look like they have type 2 diabetes—they may be Latino or African American and/or overweight, but they have type 1 diabetes after all. This can be difficult for even the brightest doctor to diagnose. Maybe it's a different type If you or someone you know is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but isn’t responding well to the typical treatments for type 2 diabetes, it may be worth a visit to an endocrinologist to determine what type of diabetes is happening. Generally, this requires antibody tests and possibly the measurement of a C-peptide level.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

How can you tell if you have diabetes? Most early symptoms are from higher-than-normal levels of glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood. The warning signs can be so mild that you don't notice them. That's especially true of type 2 diabetes. Some people don't find out they have it until they get problems from long-term damage caused by the disease. With type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually happen quickly, in a matter of days or a few weeks. They're much more severe, too. Early Signs of Diabetes Both types of diabetes have some of the same telltale warning signs. Hunger and fatigue. Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But your cells need insulin to take in glucose. If your body doesn't make enough or any insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body makes, the glucose can't get into them and you have no energy. This can make you hungrier and more tired than usual. Peeing more often and being thirstier. The average person usually has to pee between four and seven times in 24 hours, but people with diabetes may go a lot more. Why? Normally, your body reabsorbs glucose as it passes through your kidneys. But when diabetes pushes your blood sugar up, your kidneys may not be able to bring it all back in. This causes the body to make more urine, and that takes fluids. The result: You'll have to go more often. You might pee out more, too. Because you're peeing so much, you can get very thirsty. When you drink more, you'll also pee more. Dry mouth and itchy skin. Because your body is using fluids to make pee, there's less moisture for other things. You could get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can make you itchy. Blurred vision. Changing fluid levels in your body could make the lenses in your eyes swell up. They change shape and can’t focus. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes These tend to show up after your glucose has been high for a long time. Yeast infections. Both men and women with diabetes can get these. Yeast feeds on glucose, so having plenty around makes it thrive. Infections can grow in any warm, moist fold of skin, including: Between fingers and toes Under breasts In or around sex organs Slow-healing sores or cuts. Over time, high blood sugar can affect your blood flow and cause nerve damage that makes it hard for your body to heal wounds. Pain or numbness in your feet or legs. This is another result of nerve damage. Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes You might notice: Unplanned weight loss. If your body can't get energy from your food, it will start burning muscle and fat for energy instead. You may lose weight even though you haven't changed how you eat. Nausea and vomiting. When your body resorts to burning fat, it makes ketones. These can build up in your blood to dangerous levels, a possibly life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Ketones can make you feel sick to your stomach. Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes High blood sugar during pregnancy usually has no symptoms. You might feel a little thirstier than normal or have to pee more often. Warning Signs of Diabetes Complications Signs of type 2 diabetes' complications may include: Slow-healing sores or cuts Itchy skin (usually around the vaginal or groin area) Frequent yeast infections Recent weight gain Velvety, dark skin changes of the neck, armpit, and groin, called acanthosis nigricans Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet Decreased vision Impotence or erectile dysfunction (ED) Learn about what you can do to lower your risk of diabetes complications.