Diabetes Symptoms

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes may experience any or all of the following symptoms to varying degrees of severity:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Chronic hunger
• Rapid weight loss
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Slow-healing cuts and bruises
• Pain or numbness in hands and/or feet

Diabetes Types

There are three key kinds of symptomatic diabetic conditions: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. A fourth kind of diabetes, prediabetes, often does not register any notable signs or symptoms, but could lead to type 2 diabetes if left unchecked.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which your pancreas stops producing insulin, resulting in high glucose levels and increased risk for health complications. This form of diabetes can develop at any age, though it typically begins in childhood or early adulthood. While hereditary factors may influence whether someone gets type 1 diabetes, most people with the disease did not exhibit a previous family history. People with type 1 diabetes may show symptoms over a period of a few days to a few weeks. Patients are urged to seek medical care as soon as one or more symptoms present themselves; failure to report symptoms in a timely manner can lead to such complications as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening blood chemical (electrolyte) imbalance.

Type 2 Diabetes

Whereas type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to make insulin, type 2 diabetes occurs occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin or use the insulin it makes in an efficient or useful manner. Type 1 may be the most deadly form of diabetes, but type 2 diabetes is the most common. A variety of factors can influence one’s predisposition toward acquiring type 2 diabetes, including genes, excess body weight and metabolic syndrome. However, there are factors outside of one’s control that may lead that person to get type 2 diabetes: people at or over the age of 45 years old, a previous family history of the disease, or belonging to certain minority groups that may be prone to the disease. Regular checkups with your physician can help you determine whether you are in danger of developing type 2 diabetes, which in turn can help you to eliminate or lessen its effects.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a condition that exclusively affects pregnant women. They may not always be aware that they have it, as in many cases symptoms do not present themselves. For most of these women, gestational diabetes is a temporary form of diabetes caused by increased glucose levels. Pregnant women produce more glucose in order to nourish their gestating babies, but in the process they become more insulin resistant and need more of the hormone to process the extra glucose. The pancreas struggles to adapt to this increased insulin demand and rising glucose levels, resulting in gestational diabetes. This condition in pregnant women is not permanent and typically reverses itself once a woman gives birth. Still, these women should ask their doctors to monitor their condition post-pregnancy in order to determine whether they develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Though diabetes can be deadly if not treated properly, there are strategies one can apply to lessen symptoms and preserve health. If you experience one or more symptoms, ask to take a glucose test that will determine your diagnosis. Cases of type 1 diabetes can be managed with regular doses of insulin along with healthy lifestyle changes. Type 2 diabetes cases also require dietary changes and exercise, but typically can be managed through non-insulin medication.