Diabetes Symptoms-4u

Diabetes

Diabetes, also known medically as diabetes mellitus, is a condition in which the pancreas, a little organ near the stomach that produces insulin, a hormone, can't make enough insulin or the body can't use the insulin properly. Insulin is important because it helps get glucose, a sugar that comes from most of the foods we eat, into our cells for energy. With diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being used for energy. Diabetes is a serious and growing problem. An estimated 17 million Americans have diabetes, but only 11.1million cases are diagnosed. 

Diabetes can lead to serious, even life-threatening complications and serious damage to many parts of the body: the heart, eyes, kidneys, blood vessels, nerves, gums and teeth, feet and legs. Unfortunately, many people first become aware that they have diabetes when they develop one of these problems. 

It's not unusual to have diabetes mellitus and yet have no symptoms. Type 2 diabetes, in particular, develops slowly. Many people have type 2 diabetes for as long as eight years before it's diagnosed. When symptoms do develop, they often vary. But two symptoms that occur in many people with the disease are increased thirst and frequent urination.

Symptoms of Diabetes 

People with type 2 diabetes often do not have symptoms, but you might have one or more of these signs: 

• being very thirsty or hungry 
• urinating often (especially at night) 
• feeling very tired 
• losing weight without trying 
• slow healing sores 
• very dry, itchy skin 
• tingling or numbness in the feet or hands 
• sudden vision changes 
• more infections than usual (including frequent vaginal yeast and bladder infections, among others, in women) 
• nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain (might come with the sudden development of juvenile diabetes)

Diabetes Symptoms by Type 

• Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children and young adults and is considered an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body's system for fighting infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin, thereby preventing cells from taking up sugar from blood. Someone with type 1 diabetes needs daily injections of insulin to live. She also needs to follow a strict diet and monitor her blood sugar levels. 
  
  Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme tiredness. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person can lapse into a life-threatening coma. 
  
• Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes usually develops in adults over the age of 40 and is most common among adults over age 55. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. 
  
  In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas usually produces insulin, but for some reason, the body cannot use the insulin effectively. The end result is the same as for type 1 diabetes—an unhealthy buildup of glucose in the blood and an inability of the body to make efficient use of its main source of fuel. 
  
  Symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually and are not as noticeable as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms include feeling tired or ill, frequent urination (especially at night), unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing of sores. 
  
• Gestational diabetes develops or is discovered during pregnancy. This type usually disappears when the pregnancy is over, but women who have had gestational diabetes have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in their lives. Gestational diabetes occurs in 2 to 5 percent of pregnancies and at higher rates among African Americans, Hispanic Americans/Latinos, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives. 
  
  Most women don't experience any symptoms of gestational diabetes. When they do occur,  symptoms may include, excessive thirst and increased urination. 

No one has yet found a cure for diabetes. But the good news is that eating right, maintaining a healthy weight and getting plenty of exercise can help prevent the disease. And if you have diabetes, diet and exercise along with medications that control blood sugar can help you continue to live a healthy and active life.

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