Diabetes: Reconizing the Early Signs

Knowing the early signs of diabetes can do you a lot of good and help you avoid the more complex treatments such as, injecting insulin. People who do not know they have diabetes or refuse to get treatment, can lead to serious complications like blindness or even death.

There are two Types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is the more serious form and the symptoms occur suddenly ( weeks or months) and Type 2 has the slowest onset and takes years for the symptoms to appear.

One of the early signs of diabetes is increased thirst and eating habits. You will find yourself extremely thirsty no matter how much you drink, and crave sweets due to the lack of glucose in the bloodstream. Also, you will notice that you will be running to the bathroom to urinate more often throughout the day, sometimes as often as every hour.

Another thing you will notice is weight loss. Even though you would be eating large amounts of food, you still lose weight. This is caused by the pancreas not making any insulin and the cells in your body don't have any glucose, so your body looks for another energy source. As a result, your body will begin to break down fat and muscle to get this energy. Another thing, you will feel weak and fatigued because the cells don't have glucose and the glucose stays in the bloodstream, then the cells become energy starved.

Numbness and tingling in your hands or feet is another sign of diabetes. This is called neuropathy; it is cause by having high glucose in the blood stream and damages the nervous system. It gradually occurs over time and people are not aware that this is happening to them.

Other signs include blurred vision, dry itchy skin, reoccurring yeast infections in women and cuts or bruises that take long to heal. People at risk for diabetes are people who are over the age of 45, if you are overweight, don't exercise enough, or if it runs in the family. As a matter of fact, with today's new medical technology, diabetes is not a fatal illness anymore. There is no cure for diabetes, but you can reduce the risks by eating healthier and getting a lot exercise.

If you or anyone you know experiences any of these symptoms, it may be a sign of untreated diabetes. A doctor's appointment should be made as soon as possible, if diabetes is diagnosed, your doctor will decide what treatment would be best depending on the type of diabetes you have.