Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes is a disease which over twenty million people suffer from.  This is a disease where the body does not produce or properly use insulin.  Diabetes does not discriminate.  It can effect men or women, adults or children.  Diabetes does not discriminate about races either.  People of any race, creed, or color can get diabetes. 

Early Detection

Early detection when it comes to diabetes is important.  When a person has diabetes, there are lifestyle changes that need to be made.  If you do not have any idea that you have diabetes, you cannot make the changes that are necessary to keep you healthy.
Twenty million people suffer from diabetes, however, one-third of those people have no idea that they have it.  Just knowing the risk factors of diabetes is not always enough.  Knowing the symptoms of diabetes are just as important.

Symptoms of Type I Diabetes

Type I diabetes is brought on when the body does not produce enough insulin.  It is unknown what causes this, however, some studies have shown that it is genetics which are triggered by environmental factors.

Insulin is used by the body to transfer glucose to various cells in the body through the bloodstream.  Glucose is the body’s main source of energy.  Insulin is produced in the pancreas using beta-cells.  In Type I diabetes, the beta-cells are damaged.  This causes the production of insulin to either slow down or stop completely. 

Type I diabetes is not a life threatening disease, however, if left untreated, serious illnesses and even premature death is possible due to complications of the diabetes.  Some of these complications include heart disease, visual difficulty, cerebral vascular disease, gangrene, blindness, vascular disease in the lower limbs, and retinal disease. 
There are some symptoms of the early onset of diabetes.  Most people who experience these symptoms do not even think to associate them with Type I diabetes.  Some of them are common things that are usually written off as something else.
 
Excessive urination is one of the symptoms of Type I diabetes.  Many people would not think anything of this.  It is the same with excessive hunger or thirst.  Most people would not put these together and figure that it could have something to do with having diabetes. 

Most people would think that they are thirsty because they are dehydrated or extra hungry because they are bored or because they may have skipped a meal.  A lack of energy and tiredness is another symptom of Type I diabetes.  Feeling tired and having a lack of energy would not automatically make a person think that they have Type I diabetes.  Most people today are so busy that they feel tired and not full of energy very often.  It would not be immediately thought of as being a symptom of diabetes.  These random symptoms are caused by a glucose build-up in the blood. 

There are a few other less common symptoms.  Blurred vision is one if them.  If you notice a change in your vision you should call your optometrist immediately.  Even if you don’t even consider Type I diabetes as the cause, you should still always contact a doctor if you notice a change in your vision.  Nausea is another symptom of Type I diabetes that one may not think has anything to do with diabetes.  The nausea is caused by the excessive blood sugar. 

Type I diabetes is detected by the onset of ketoacidosis.  This is an emergency condition due to the high levels of blood sugar.  Fat gets broken down in the body in order to get the necessary energy.  This can lead to ketone build up in the body.  This can cause stomach pains and nausea.  If this goes untreated, it can lead to rapid breathing, followed by coma and death. 

Watching out for symptoms is important if you are at risk of developing diabetes.

Symptoms of Type II Diabetes

The glucose level in a person who suffers from Type II diabetes is higher than a person who is not suffering from the disease.  After a person eats, the food goes to the stomach where it is broken down into glucose.  The glucose is then carried through the bloodstream to all the cells in the body.  In Type II diabetes, there is insulin which is used to convert glucose into energy.  The Type II diabetes patient does not have much insulin.  This can lead to a drastic build up of glucose in the blood.  It did not have enough insulin to turn it into energy. 

If gone untreated for too long, this condition can lead to heart attacks, blindness, nerve problems, and kidney disease.
 
People with Type II diabetes can keep these problems and many other at bay by making just a couple lifestyle changes.   Proper diet and exercise can go a long way. 
The symptoms of type II diabetes are basically the same as the symptoms of type I diabetes. 

Paying attention to the possible symptoms of Type I or II diabetes is very important.  If you catch the disease quick, you can begin treatment.  Death is possible if diabetes is left untreated.  Knowing the symptoms and when to call a doctor is very important.