Diabetes Symptoms
Are you a victim of Diabetes? Diabetes symptoms explained
Firstly it is important to note that the condition known as diabetes is a disorder characterized mainly by levels of sugar that greatly exceed the normal levels in the blood.
Diabetes is usually not treated as a serious condition owing to the simple symptoms that are a part of diabetes in the incipient stages. As a consequence the disorder is neglected and the situation worsens making both the condition itself and the treatment complicated
It should be noted that there are 3 distinct kinds of Diabetes, the symptoms of which differ significantly.
It is the differentiation between the types that helps in a better treatment.
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Gestational Diabetes
The Diabetes Symptoms classified based on the type of the symptoms have been mentioned here under.
In Type 1 Diabetes, a patient generally experiences the following symptoms
- A desire to urinate frequently
- Unrelenting thirst
- Excessively hungry
- Weight loss that occurs due to no known reason
- A feeling of general weakness
- Restlessness
Symptoms Explained:
Frequent trips to the restrooms: the major reason for frequent urination is that, the sugar levels in the blood increase. This increase in the levels of the sugar causes the blood to gain Osmolality. To understand this, consider a simple sugar solution contained in a biological membrane that is in contact with plain water in another container. Osmosis occurs and increases the volume of sugar solution (reducing the concentration) to normalize the osmolality. Similarly, the osmolality of the blood is reduced by drawing fluids from the surrounding tissues into the blood.
When the blood reaches the kidneys, excessive amounts of fluids are filtered, reabsorbed as required. But there is still a large excess of fluids that are not required which are then sent to the urinary bladder for Micturition, scientific term for urination. The frequent filling of the bladder is the reason for your frequent visits to the bathroom.
Thirst: This symptom can also be explained with the same theory. The tissues lose water so they need more water to compensate. The compensation cannot be done inside the body as you know osmosis is unidirectional, it can only happen from low pressure to high pressure.
Weight Loss: Weight loss in diabetic patients can be explained by many theories but the reason for the occurrence hasn’t been established yet. One of the theories is that they have a poor capacity to process the calories and hence there is no gain in weight to compensate to the amount of energy spent. Also there is heavy loss of water and glucose through frequent urination, which might be a possible cause for the loss of weight.
General Weakness or Fatigue: the inefficiency of the body to use the energy from the glucose promotes the body to consume the fats and other sources of energy in the body which in turn requires higher amount of energies. The result is an easily tired body.
Restlessness and other mental problems: These problems are common in the diabetic patient and have been attributed to the higher levels of sugars and ketones, which cause the ketoacidosis, in the body. Please report to an emergency service incase such behavior is noticed in diabetes as it may lead to dangerous consequences.
Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Type 2 Diabetes has symptoms that are similar to that of the Type one symptoms. The symptoms that are observed other than the type one symptoms are
Poor capacity to even heal minor wounds, cuts and bruises: the presence of excessive levels of sugar lead to the improper functioning of the WBC in the blood. The WBCs in the blood are primarily responsible for the wound healing by eliminating all the bacteria. High sugar levels of the blood are therefore responsible for the poor wound healing in the diabetic patients.
Another secondary factor in diabetes that contributes to the poor healing in the patients is the thick vessels which cause obstruction to the proper flow of blood and hence oxygen and required nutrients, both of which are directly responsible for the healthy growth of tissues.
Frequent occurrence of infections: Diabetic patients are more prone to the infections caused by yeast and several other microorganisms. This can be attributed to 2 major reasons
a) The excess glucose in the blood might attract more microorganisms than usual and cause an infection
b) The second reason is that the diabetic patients have an inferior immune system than the others and hence the susceptibility to infections
Unclear Vision: though it is an occurrence in all the diabetic people, blurred vision has been a problem in most of the people. Higher glucose in the body causes the lens of the human eye to increase in size. This increase in size is responsible for bad vision due to the effect of swelling on the transparency and the focal length.
Tingling sensation in the limbs, both the hands and legs: these are scientifically called neuropathies and a special case is the occurrence in diabetic patients, which is often referred to as the Diabetic Neuropathy. The nerves that allow you to respond to stimuli, like touch, pain etc, are highly sensitive to the body equilibrium. A change in the sugar levels can affect the sensitivity. For instance a higher level of glucose in the body is responsible for the poor conduction and also improper conduction of the nerve signals across the nerve connections.
The effects are further destructive if the patient
- has inflammation resulting from autoimmune problems
- genetic factors that contribute to damage of the nerves
- intake of alcohol and smoking
In most of the cases there are no symptoms in people suffering from diabetes of the second type or they might be subtle and hence go unnoticed.
Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, there are several other general symptoms experienced by the diabetic patients, regardless of the type
- Nausea, and sometimes vomiting
- Dryness of the mouth
- Skin problems like itching, more commonly in the groin and vagina
What to do if you identify any symptoms?
It is necessary that you identify these symptoms and report to the doctor or a concerned physician at the earliest. A few complications, such as the ketoacidosis, are fatal. These conditions may lead to coma and also death if left unattended.
Also overdoing your medication or continuing the treatment for days longer than required could lead to dangers such as low sugar levels, occasional fainting, heart palpitations or worse.
Consult your doctor if you
- Feel uneasy and enervated
- Thirst is insatiable
- Experience pain in the abdomen
- Make frequent trips to the bathrooms
- Increased heartbeat speed
- Frequent episodes of fainting
- Profuse sweating
Gestational diabetes is a similar condition with same effects as the other diabetes occurring in the pregnant women due to the hormones that she produces. These hormones have a negative effect on insulin, the hormone that controls the glucose levels in our body. However as a natural measure the body produces as much as 3 times the amount of insulin in the body of a normal woman. Sometimes the pancreas is not capable of negating the hormones in a woman, which happens in over 4% of the pregnancies, and thus the diabetes develops. However this usually subsides once the mother delivers in most cases. Proper care should be taken such that the child is not affected due to the diabetes.
There are several complications that may develop in a person suffering from diabetes. The following is a list of complications that may arise. Observe any changes in your body and consult a physician immediately.
Eyes: Cataract, chances of glaucoma in many cases. Blurry vision is almost always a complication.
Limbs: As discussed earlier, diabetic neuropathies might develop.
Audibility: Diabetic patients have been tested and several degrees of loss in hearing were documented. In case you experience a poorer hearing, suspect a complication of the diabetes and approach the physician for testing.
Mouth: Higher risk of infections of the mouth, especially the gums were found in the patients.
Skin Complications: Several complications occur and should be taken care of as soon as possible
- Acanthosis Nigricans: Raised brown or dark brown areas of the skin that are usually raised and can be found on neck, groin and armpits
- A type of Granuloma Annulare: sharp ring or arc shaped areas of the skin that are raised. They occur anywhere in the body rarely on the trunk
- Digital Sclerosis: Thick skin with a waxy feel on the back fingers. Toes and forehead are also susceptible to this.
- Eruptive Xanthomatosis: yellow shaped outgrowths on the skin, with a red centre and they are usually itchy. May occur on limbs and butt.
- Diabetic Blisters: a rare occurrence in the patients on hands, and toes. This is generally harmless and will recede to normalcy once the sugar levels are normal.
- Allergic Reactions: Medications, insulin injections mostly, might cause allergies to many patients and you should be watchful to note them.
- Necrobiosis Lipoidica in Diabetic patients: similar condition as the diabetic dermopathy with the only differences being the fewer number of patches which are deeper and bigger.
- Diabetic Dermopathy: formation of scaly and brown patches on the skin.
- General infections of the skin and
- Itching
Apart from this it is also common that there are several complications in the skin of hands and feet that may occur due to the thickening of the arteries, a condition called Atherosclerosis, which is a distinct possibility in Diabetes.