Whether it be type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes some of the early diabetes warning signs are the same. By recognizing the signs, you will be able to help your doctor give an early diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible.
Yet, type 2 diabetes evolves slowly and there is a chance you might not get many warning signs.
Diabetes is a very serious illness but, at the same time, it’s common.
If you have diabetes, you need to regularly supervise your blood sugar levels and keep them under control within the adequate range.
Many people don’t know that there are different types of diabetes. It’s even common for those who are diagnosed to be surprised they have the disease, since symptoms appear gradually over the span of months or even years.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the diabetes warning signs you should pay close attention to.
Diabetes Warning Signs
The warning signs for diabetes can happen progressively or appear all of the sudden. Different types of diabetes may have similar indicators or very different ones.
Special attention should be paid to the following symptoms since they can indicate danger:
- Extreme thirst
- Dry mouth
- Frequent urges to urinate
- Hunger
- Constant fatigue
- Irritability
- Blurry vision
- Injuries that don’t scar or do so with difficulty
- Itchy or dry skin
- Constant fungal infections
Type 1 Diabetes Warning Signs
This type of diabetes is diagnosed generally in children and very young adults, even though it can happen to any age group.
Children tend to experience the following additional symptoms, so pay close attention:
- Sudden and involuntary weight loss
- Wetting the bed when they have already learned not to
- Fungal vaginal infections before puberty
- Flu-like symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, bad breath, respiratory problems and loss of consciousness
Flu-like symptoms appear when undiagnosed type 1 diabetes causes ketones to accumulate in the bloodstream. This condition is known as diabetic ketoacidosis and is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment to prevent further complications.
Type 2 Diabetes Warning Signs
This type of diabetes doesn’t have sudden symptoms, but there are early warning signs such as those previously mentioned.
- Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can also be a possibility if any of the following symptoms are present:
- Persistent infections or an injury that doesn’t heal or that takes very long to do so
- Complications associated with abnormal blood sugar levels for a prolonged period of time, such as numbness or tingling in the feet.
- Heart problems
These symptoms tend to develop over the course of years and are very subtle and hard to associate to the actual sickness.
Who Are at Risk of Developing Diabetes?
As mentioned earlier, diabetes can develop at any moment. However, there are certain risk factors for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
What is presented in continuation isn’t something exclusive, since adults can end up dealing with type 1 diabetes, although it is less frequent.
Type 1 Diabetes:
- Children
- Young Adults
- People with a family history of type 1 diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes:
- People older than 45 years of age
- Overweight individuals
- Those who live a sedentary lifestyle
- Smokers
- People with a family history of type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Abnormal levels of Triglycerides or HDL
- Certain ethnic groups
- Personal history of insulin resistance
It is possible to present one or more of the warning signs related with diabetes. If this is true for you, get in contact with your primary care physician and make an appointment.
Also, you could end up discovering diabetes while getting checked for another illness or after a routine blood order.
What Else Should You Know?
If you suspect to have any of these diabetes warning signs it is possible your primary care physician would like to know your:
- Current symptoms
- Family history
- What medicines you take
- If you have any allergies
Remember to talk to your doctor if you have any concern of diabetes. Getting immediate help and early treatment is key in controlling the symptoms and preventing serious problems in the future.
If you have type 1 diabetes, you will need to control your glucose levels. This is done by regulating your insulin levels with your diet and therefore making the insulin more active in your blood stream.
In case you have type 2 diabetes, you can control your blood sugar with a special diet that will activate the insulin on its own or take medications for it.
Having diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t have a normal and complete life, but it does mean you should take better care of your health.
