Diabetes-Team

Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes has become a very common disease, and its prevalence is steadily increasing each year. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects body in such a way that it either does not produce insulin or is not able to use it properly. Human body needs to maintain the level of blood glucose at very narrow range, and this is done by glucagon and insulin. Glucagon causes the liver to release glucose from its cells in the blood so that energy is produced.

Several Symptoms of Diabetes

Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes are three main types of diabetes. Diabetes is one of the primary reasons for end-stage renal disease, amputations, gangrene and adult blindness. Family history, lack of exercise, overweight and stress increase the chances of developing diabetes.

Diabetes is not completely curable, but it can be controlled to a great extent by taking care of exercise, diet and right medication.

The signs and symptoms of diabetes are quite similar in most type of cases, as the sugar level is high due to inadequate or no production of insulin. Once the diabetes is treated, the symptoms of diabetes are quickly relieved, and this also reduces the chances of developing serious health problems.

In case of type 1, the pancreas stops insulin production, and cells of the body do not get enough glucose to produce ATP units, resulting in vomiting and nausea. And in later stages, body starts breaking down fat and muscle tissue to produce energy, causing fast weight loss. Dehydration is also a symptom of diabetes, which is caused due to electrolyte imbalance, and in advanced stages, coma and death can also occur.

One of the symptoms of diabetes is increased fatigue, which is caused due to inefficient of the cells to metabolize glucose which leads to metabolism of reserved body fat to gain energy. Breaking down of fat requires more energy as compared to glucose, making the body go into negative calorie effect resulting in fatigue.

Due to diabetes, the concentration of glucose in the blood increases, signaling the brain for diluting the blood, hence the person feels more thirsty. Excess glucose in the body increases the production of urine, and body gets rid of extra blood sugar by throwing it out through urine.

Weight fluctuation is another common symptom of diabetes which is caused by several factors including glucosuria, loss of water, metabolism of protein and body fat and so on. In certain cases, there can be weight gain due to increased appetite.

Blurred vision is also one of the symptoms of diabetes, which is caused due to Hyperosmolar hyperglycemia nonketotic syndrome that affects the ability of the eye to focus, causing blurry vision.

Irritability is also another symptom of diabetes which is caused by high blood pressure due to insufficient supply of glucose to the brain and other organs. This makes the person uneasy and tired.

For a person suffering from diabetes, the body sends few signals whenever there is change in blood sugar by frequent infections in the skin. High blood pressure does not let WBC flourish, and this causes delay in the process of healing wounds. In the long run, diabetes also causes thickening of blood vessels leading to poor circulation of blood in the body.

To summarize, excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased fatigue, unusual weight loss, blurry vision, and irritability are some of the common symptoms of diabetes for type 1. And excessive thirst, sores or cuts that are slow to heal, dry mouth, blurry vision, need to urinate more often, itchy skin, leg pain and yeast infections are some of the symptoms of diabetes for type 2.

Numbness and tingling are also the symptoms of diabetes, and are caused due to high blood glucose in the blood that damages the nervous system.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.