Symptoms of Diabetes
Symptoms of Diabetes Type 1
"Type 1 diabetes most often starts in childhood, before the age of 20. People with Type 1 diabetes usually have a number of the following symptoms:
Frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Unexplained weight loss
Extreme hunger
Sudden vision changes
Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
Feeling very tired much of the time
Very dry skin
Sores that are slow to heal
More infections than usual
Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pains
"Not everyone will notice drastic symptoms -- the symptoms may be subtle or go unnoticed at first. In some cases, the first symptom is frequent yeast infections.
"Type 1 diabetes occurs when a person's own immune system gradually attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. As these cells are destroyed, insulin production drops - eventually stopping completely."
Alan Greene MD FAAP, Chief Medical Officer of A.D.A.M., and serves on the Clinical Faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Symptoms of Diabetes Type 2
"Type 2 diabetes is called a silent killer, because people can have the disease for a long time without knowing it. High levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) develop gradually and can go undetected since symptoms may not be obvious. Diabetes is often discovered only after complications from having high blood glucose levels for a long time have developed. When glucose builds up in the blood, the kidneys work hard to flush out the excess, causing thirst and the need to urinate often. People with untreated diabetes often get hungry and tired, because the body is not able to use food the way it should. High blood glucose levels over a long time are responsible for the cell and tissue damage that causes diabetes complications."
This publication was made possible by grants from New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service and the New Mexico Department of Health Diabetes Control Program.
"In type 2 diabetes, symptoms develop more slowly, and some persons never have any symptoms of the disease."
US FDA
