Diabetes signs & symptoms
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Definition
Risk Factors
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Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of diabetes:
unusual thirst (polydipsia),
excessive hunger (polyphagia),
frequent urination (polyuria),
unusual weight loss (emaciation),
extreme fatigue or lack of energy,
blurred vision,
frequent or recurring infections,
cuts and bruises that are slow to heal,
tingling &/or numbness in
hands &/or feet.
*** It is also quite important to understand that many
people with type 2 diabetes may or may not display
signs or symptoms. It is recommended
to have routine screening every three years for everyone age 45 or over and
screening every year for individuals with other risk factors.
The first symptoms of diabetes are related to the direct
effects of high blood sugar levels. When the blood sugar level rises above
160 to 180 mg/dL, glucose passes into the urine.
When the level rises even higher, the kidneys excrete additional water to
dilute the large amounts of glucose lost. Because the kidneys produce
excessive urine, a person with diabetes urinates
large volumes frequently (polyuria). The
excessive urination creates abnormal thirst (polydipsia).
Because excessive calories are lost in the urine, the person loses weight.
To compensate, the person often feels excessively hungry (polyphagia). Other symptoms include blurred vision,
drowsiness, nausea, and decreased endurance during exercise. In addition,
people whose diabetes is poorly controlled are more susceptible to
infections. Because of the severity of insulin deficiency, people with type
I diabetes almost always lose weight before undergoing treatment. Most
people with type II diabetes don't lose weight.
In people with type I diabetes, the symptoms begin
abruptly and may progress rapidly to a
condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Despite high levels of sugar in the
blood, most cells can't use sugar without insulin; thus, they turn to other
sources of energy. Fat cells begin to break down, producing ketones, toxic chemical compounds that can make the
blood acidic (ketoacidosis). The initial symptoms
of diabetic ketoacidosis include excessive thirst
and urination, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and--particularly in
children--abdominal pain. Breathing tends to become
deep and rapid as the body attempts to correct the blood's acidity. The
person's breath smells like nail polish remover.
Without treatment, diabetic ketoacidosis can
progress to coma, sometimes within a few hours.
People with type I diabetes can develop ketoacidosis even after starting insulin treatment if
they miss an insulin injection or become
stressed by an infection, an accident, or a serious medical condition.
People with type II diabetes may not have any symptoms
for years or decades. When insulin deficiency progresses, symptoms may
develop. Increased urination and thirst are mild at first and gradually
worsen over weeks or months. Ketoacidosis is
rare. If the blood sugar level becomes
very high (often exceeding 1,000 mg/dL)--usually
as the result of some superimposed stress such as an infection or
drugs--the person may develop severe dehydration, which may lead to mental
confusion, drowsiness, seizures, and a condition called nonketotic
hyperglycemic-hyperosmolar coma.
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