Diabetes is caused by increased blood glucose levels. It can give rise to a number of complications such as kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage.
Here is some important information about the warning symptoms of diabetes.
Mr. Joseph was experiencing an increased hunger and an increased thirst. He was also suffering from frequent urination and urine infections. He found that he had a headache and blurred vision. Lately, he was feeling very tired and weak due to an unexplained weight loss. He didn’t understand what was happening with him. When he consulted his physician, the doctor suggested some blood tests. And Mr. Joseph was diagnosed with diabetes.
It is important to have good info on diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders, which is caused by increased blood glucose levels. Glucose is a source of energy that is required to perform daily activities. In a healthy individual, blood glucose levels are regulated by insulin, a pancreatic hormone. In people with diabetes, there is no production or insufficient production of insulin. In some forms of diabetes, any of these can occur. It causes an increase in blood glucose levels, known as hyperglycemia. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death after cancer and heart disease in the United States.
Types of Diabetes
Depending upon the causes, there are three major types of diabetes viz. Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is generally diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. It is also referred to as juvenile onset diabetes or insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus. This type of diabetes is caused by absence of production of insulin in the body. In adults, Type 1 diabetes is caused by destruction of pancreas due to alcoholism or certain diseases. It is also caused by progressive failure of pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes require daily insulin injections.
What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes is more common than Type 1 diabetes. It is generally diagnosed in adulthood and called as adult-onset diabetes mellitus or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In this type of diabetes, insulin is secreted by the pancreas, but the body loses the ability to use it. Type 2 diabetes is caused by genetic factors, obesity, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity.
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed during pregnancy in a woman who is not a known diabetic. It is a temporary type of diabetes. Diabetes, if left untreated, can give rise to a number of complications such as blindness due to damage to retina, renal failure, damage to nerves and blood vessels. Diabetes also increases the risk of atherosclerosis, leading to heart attack and stroke, high blood pressure and peripheral vascular disease.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
If any disease is diagnosed in the early stage, it can be cured earlier by seeking proper medical treatment. If your diabetes is detected earlier, you can get immediate treatment and prevent its complications. But how will you come to know that you have diabetes?
There are certain warning signs of diabetes, which indicate the possibility of onset of diabetes. Some of the common signs and symptoms of diabetes are increased hunger, increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination or urine infections, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, feeling of tiredness, headache and blurred vision.
In diabetes, there are elevated levels of glucose in blood and urine. Due to high sugar levels in urine, urine frequency is increased. It leads to dehydration, which causes an increased thirst. Increased thirst is one of the most significant warning signs of diabetes.
In diabetes, due to insulin resistance, glucose cannot enter into the cells from the blood stream. Since glucose is required for energy production, a person feels exhausted due to a lack of glucose. As a result, he/she experiences an increased hunger.
In spite of increased hunger, a person experiences unexplained weight loss. Due to a lack of cellular energy, the body starts to break down the muscular proteins and fats, which results in weight loss.
Due to decreased energy levels, a person feels constant fatigue and tiredness. A person often feels sleepy after meals.
Frequent urinary tract infections or skin infections is another important warning sign of diabetes. A diabetic person becomes more prone to bacterial or fungal infections. The skin is dry and itchy. Cuts or wounds take longer time to heal.
High blood glucose levels damage the nervous system. Due to neuropathy, there is numbness or tingling in the hands, legs or feet.
Diabetes increases the risk of infection in the gums. Gums become red, tender and swollen.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Signs of Type 1 Diabetes
Some of the warning signs of Type 1 diabetes are fatigue, increased thirst, frequent urination, vomiting, nausea and weight loss in spite of increased hunger. There is a sudden and unexplained weight loss. A person always feels tired. There is sudden and dramatic onset of symptoms in Type 1 diabetes.
Signs of Type 2 Diabetes
The onset of symptoms is gradual in Type 2 diabetes. Hence, it is hard to detect. The signs of Type 2 diabetes are almost similar to those of Type 1 diabetes. However, some additional symptoms can be seen in Type 2 diabetes. Some of the common signs of Type 2 diabetes are slow-healing cuts or sores, frequent yeast infections, recurrent fungal or bacterial infections, sudden and unexplained weight gain, itching of skin around the vaginal or groin area, dark skin rashes on the armpits, neck and groin (acanthosis nigricans), tingling or numbness of hands and feet and impotency in males. Due to damage to retina, a person experiences blurred vision, which may eventually lead to blindness.
There may be some severe complications such as confusion, fast breathing, severe abdominal pain and diabetic coma. Diabetic coma, also called hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome, is a serious complication of Type 2 diabetes. In this case, blood glucose level is excessively increased and there is severe dehydration and loss of consciousness. Patient suffers from headache, restlessness, drowsiness, inability to speak and paralysis.
These warning signs of diabetes should not be neglected. Getting info on diabetes an lead to early detectionand it is essential to seek an appropriate medical treatment in order to avoid further complications. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
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