Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting millions of people around the world. It is an incurable disease and once diagnosed must take medication for life. Diabetes is caused by the failure of the pancreas to produce insulin to help in glucose metabolism. This defect causes glucose to remain in the blood stream and if left untreated for long periods of time, will cause secondary damage to the eyes, heart, liver, kidney and other important organs.
The symptoms of diabetes are often difficult to notice. You might just brush it aside because it doesn't cause pain and you always assume that it is something else that is giving you the symptom. Below are some of the symptoms of diabetes and if you have more than one sign, it is advisable to pay your doctor a visit to rule out the possibility of the disease.
* constantly feels hungry and thirsty and some degree of dehydration
* urinating frequently especially at night
* getting blurred vision over a short period of time
* easily feels tired and exhausted even while not doing anything
* takes a long time to heal cuts and bruises
* unexpectedly loose weight without going through weight reducing program
* numb feeling in your hands and feet
* continue getting gum or skin or bladder infection
Dehydration occurs because of body fluid is lost due to frequent urination. In more serious cases of diabetes it leads to a buildup of ketones in the blood. Ketones are acids which can poison the body. Ketocidosis will lead to diabetic coma and eventually death.
Some people may also experience dizziness at the onset of diabetes. This is related to the sense of balance of the body which involves the eyes, ears and brain. When diabetes is out of control it may also lead to fainting due to low blood glucose level (hypoglycemia) or high blood glucose level (hyperglycemia).
The risk of getting this disease is higher if your family has a history of it. If the symptoms of diabetes persist, consult your family doctor fast. Your doctor will do a fasting plasma glucose test to determine your blood glucose level. Your blood glucose level is high if the result is above 125 mg/dl. If this is the case, your doctor will perform a second test to confirm the first diagnosis before they can give you a prescription.
Research has shown that the risk of diabetes can reduced when there is appropriate weight management - eating what is appropriate according to needs. This means eating a healthy balanced diet inclusive of leafy green vegetables. It also delays the onset of diabetes in families that have a history of diabetes. It is also possible that people with diabetes do not show any of the symptoms of diabetes which makes detection too late.
Conclusion
Diabetes can lead to many other life threatening diseases if left untreated. If you have one or more of the symptoms of diabetes, it is advisable to seek medical attention promptly. Early intervention will minimize the damage caused by this disease. Adjust your lifestyle to adapt to this disease.
The Symptoms Of Diabetes
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear suddenly and may be rather severe in nature. Usually detected during childhood, type 1 diabetes may cause a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, which causes vomiting, nausea, and dehydration. If left untreated, symptoms become more intense and the condition may eventually lead to coma or even death.
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Type 2 Diabetes
The signs of type 2 diabetes are usually subtle, often going unnoticed for many years before a blood test reveals the presence of the disease. The symptoms of diabetes may also be wrongly attributed to obesity or aging, and if not properly treated, may lead to other serious complications including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, or permanent nerve damage.
The common symptoms of diabetes that occur with both major types of the disease include:
- Excessive urination: Excessive urination, or polyuria, occurs when the body attempts to rid the system of extra glucose through the urine. This condition may then lead to dehydration after losing large amounts of water when excreting the excess sugars.
- Excessive thirst: Excessive thirst, or polydipsia, occurs when the brain receives a signal to dilute the blood in order to deal with the extra glucose. This signal is translated as thirst by the body, which needs to consume more water to counteract the loss by the excessive urination.
- Unexplained weight loss: People with diabetes may experience weight loss even though they are taking in a normal, healthy amount of food, or even an excessive amount, as the disease affects the way the body processes calories. Dehydration and excessive urination are other symptoms that may also contribute to unexplained weight loss.
- Excessive eating: One of the functions of insulin, which is secreted to counter high levels of blood sugar, is to stimulate the appetite. Too much insulin may cause increased hunger and lead to overeating, a condition known as polyphagia.
- Fatigue: Diabetes causes the body to have difficulty processing and using glucose as a means of fuel. To compensate, the body must then work harder to metabolize fat as an alternate source of fuel, which may cause fatigue and a constant feeling of tiredness.
- Slow-healing wounds: Both oxygen and white blood cells are necessary for healing and regenerating new tissue, but when the level of sugar is too high, those cells aren't able to function normally, causing the body to be susceptible to infections and taking longer than usual to heal. Those who have had diabetes for many years may also have poor circulation, which also causes wounds to need more healing time due to a thickening of the blood vessels.
- Frequent infections: Urinary tract infections and both skin and yeast infections are symptoms of diabetes that may be the result of a suppressed immune system. Infections may also be from the extra glucose within the body's tissues, which allows bacteria to grow in excess.
- Blurry vision: While blurred vision isn't technically a symptom that's specific for either type of diabetes, it does occur frequently when blood sugar levels are abnormally high.
- Altered mental state: Symptoms of diabetes, such as confusion, agitation or irritability, may be the result of either very low levels of blood sugar, which is known as hypoglycemia, or from extremely high blood glucose levels, or hyperglycemia.
Both Elsie Shan & Dr.Eswararamanan VR are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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Dr.Eswararamanan VR has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cars, Mileage and Fuel and Mileage and Fuel. Dr.Eswararamanan VR is the author of this article. He has published many health related articles to help the people.This article can be used for reprint on your website provided the links in this article must be active and complete. Dr.Eswararamanan VR's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
