Diabetes Symptoms: Top Warning Signs

Recognizing diabetes symptoms is something I learned to do at a very young age. Diabetes is very prevalent in my family, as it is in many others. I do not have diabetes, but every generation we've traced back on my mother's side has had diabetes. Within each generation, several people ended up with the disease. Just recently, another family member found out she has diabetes.

Our family members are very sensitive when it comes to diabetes, and we are aware of what to look for after seeing so many experience the symptoms. I have been very faithful at having blood work done to screen for diabetes.

Diabetes can go undiagnosed for quite some time for some patients, because at first some of the symptoms don't seem so severe. So it is easy to contribute the symptoms to something else. If diabetes is caught early, you have a better chance at decreasing your risk for complications. In our family, though, the diabetics have been diagnosed early because we are so aware and have seen so many family members go through it, we know what diabetes symptoms to watch for and to report any symptoms to the doctor immediately.

The most common diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, unquenchable thirst, excessive hunger and hungry soon after eating, blurry vision, unintentional weight loss, increased and/or excessive fatigue. If you experience one or a mixture of these symptoms, do not hesitate to call your physician for a check up. The frequent urination and unquenchable and excessive thirst diabetes symptoms can be overlooked as a problem because we usually assume that if we drink more, we will urinate more.

Other diabetes symptoms may include yeast infections in women, numbness in feet, mood swings, irritability, skin rashes and infections, skin sores that don't heal, urinary tract infections, dry flaky skin, absent periods, premature menopause, sexual problems, erectile dysfunction, tingling of the hands and feet, malaise, nausea, muscle cramps, muscle aches and acne.

The most common diabetes symptoms for type 2 diabetics are the frequent urination and excessive thirst. My family member who was recently diagnosed said that she also had numb feet, blurry vision and a yeast infection.

Diabetes symptoms for type 1 diabetics are more noticeable with the frequent urination, excessive thirst, unintentional weight loss and excessive hunger.

Frequent Urination

Diabetics will have frequent urination as one of the diabetes symptoms because of extra glucose in the blood. The body rids itself of extra glucose through urination.

Excessive and Unquenchable Thirst

Diabetics will have excessive and unquenchable thirst because the body is dehydrated to frequent urination. My family member explained the excessive thirst as a constant urge and she could not get enough water. No matter how much she drank, she still had an urge and a need for more.

Excessive Hunger

This diabetes symptom is caused by the increase in blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are high, appetite increases.

Blurry Vision

In diabetics, blurry vision is caused by the quick fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The extra sugar in the blood can accumulate in the lens of the eyes. The build up of sugar in the eyes absorbs the eye moisture and causes the lens to swell. This diabetes symptom leads to nearsightedness that is usually cleared up once the diabetes is under control.

Unintentional Weight Loss

The weight loss associated with diabetes can be caused by the dehydration due to frequent urination. High blood sugar levels can also cause the muscles to breakdown leading to unintentional weight loss. This diabetes symptom is what typically sends the patient to the doctor.

Increased and Excessive Fatigue

The increase in fatigue for diabetics is caused by the increase in blood sugar levels. Also anytime someone is sick with any kind of illness, fatigue is common.