Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes mellitus is a Greek word which means “honey sweet flow”. Medically diabetes is defined as a metabolic disorder which contributes to elevated blood glucose level also called hyperglycemia.
Normal and Abnormal Blood Sugar Levels
Fasting blood sugar in human body is below 100 mg/dl and after eating it rises to maximum of 140 mg/dl. If there are higher values then it may indicate impaired sugar in the blood. To find it oral glucose tolerance test is performed. High blood sugar level in the blood can lead to other complications of eyes, nervous system, brain, heart and blood vessels.
Types of Diabetes
There are mainly two types of diabetes around the population.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a disorder caused by the deficiency of pancreatic hormone insulin. In type 1 diabetes body’s own antibodies destroys the insulin producing cells of pancreas. This is typical insulin deficient insulin which usually begins in early ages.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is caused by decreased insulin secretion from beta cells of pancreas. This type of insulin was formerly known as adult onset diabetes because it usually develops in older ages. But today it is also found in obese children.

Typical Diabetes Symptoms

The following diabetes symptoms may affect both type-1 diabetes and in type 2 diabetes may occur:
•    Frequent urination (polyuria) and nocturnal urination
•    Increased thirst (polydipsia)
•    Poor appetite and weight loss
•    Fatigue, tiredness and weakness
•    Food cravings, especially in early disease
•    General susceptibility to infection (particularly urinary tract infections and infections of the skin)
•    Itching
•    Headache, dizziness
•    Nausea, vomiting
•    Blurred vision
•    Muscle cramps
•    Impairment of consciousness

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms
The symptoms of diabetes mellitus type 1 develop relatively very fast in days or some weeks. It indicates some very common symptoms like weight loss, illness, weakness and frequent urination. It can even lead to diabetic coma with loss of consciousness.

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually and over a much long period unlike patients with type 1 diabetes. For a long time it show mild symptoms such as thirst, weakness, dizziness and fatigue. That is why type 2 diabetes often remains undetected for a long time. How some major symptoms can cause complications like
•    Slow-healing wounds, especially on the legs or feet
•    Deterioration of vision ( retinopathy )
•    Nerve damage with tingling or numbness in the legs (polyneuropathy)
•    Heart attack

Gestational diabetes
The gestational diabetes usually causes few symptoms and in the context of pregnancy tests can be detected.
Determine Blood Glucose

Determination of blood glucose is based on measurement of fasting blood sugar. It is also determined by glucose tolerance test known as oral glucose tolerance test.
Below are some blood glucose values in the body.

Diabetes Symptoms Signs and Causes in Children

Diabetes mellitus is a very common and widespread disease. It is a serious metabolic disorder that is found not only in adults but also in children.
Type 1 diabetes is a disease which is caused due to the lack of insulin. For a long time it was also called as “young diabetes” because it was found usually in children and young. People under 25 are more susceptible to this disease.
In contrast, type 2 diabetes which is also insulin dependent mostly develops in older people. However, these days more obese children and young children are also victims of this disease.

Diabetes Mellitus Symptoms in Children & Babies

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are similar to each other to some extent. The symptoms of diabetes mellitus type 1, which is common in children and adolescents than type 2, develop more rapidly. While type 2 diabetes show its symptoms after some time and gradually. Some of the common symptoms of diabetes in children are as follow
•    Frequent urination with large amounts of urine (polyuria), mostly at night.
•    Fatigue, irritability, mood swings
•    Increased susceptibility to infections
•    Great thirst, so the child drinks several liters of fluid per day (polydipsia)
•    Weight loss despite ravenous appetite
•    Decline in physical performance and ability to concentrate
•    Later, also abdominal pain and smell in the breathing air (acetone smells like nail polish remover)
If you observe some of these symptoms in your child then immediately pay it attention.

Causes of Diabetes Mellitus in Children & Babies

Type 1 diabetes
The main cause of type 1 diabetes is absence of insulin. It is produced in the beta cells of pancreas. Metabolism of sugar in human body is accompanied through insulin and if it is deficient in the body then sugar level in blood may rise.
Type 1 diabetes usually establishes in childhood and youth. This form of diabetes is one of the autoimmune diseases. The body itself produces antibodies that destroy the beta cells of the pancreas. The cause of antibody formation is still not known. It is believed that many factors play a role in producing them. These include hereditary factors, immune defects and environmental factors such as infection or stress .
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes  develops mostly in old age and was therefore originally called adult onset diabetes. However, the disease is also observed frequently in children and adolescents.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with impaired insulin secretion. Some of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes are obesity, poor diet and insufficient exercise. So it is seen that overweight or obese  children are particularly victims of diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms ,Signs, Causes and Diagnosis

Gestational diabetes is special type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. This disease usually develops in last trimester of pregnancy and disappears immediately after pregnancy.
This type of diabetes is one of the most common pregnancy related disease. It is estimated that about three percent of the women demonstrate this disease during pregnancy. Most of them are those women who have type 2 diabetes in their family and if there is gestational diabetes in history.
Women who suffer from gestational diabetes during pregnancy are reported to develop type 2 diabetes in following years of life.

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms

Gestational diabetes continues without any complaint and mostly it is discovered accidentally by screening tests. Gestational diabetes symptoms are like those of type 1. Some of the common symptoms reported are given below.
Increased Thirst
Pregnant woman may feel increased thirst as compared to usual.

Urinary tract and kidney infections
Due to weak immune system urinary tract infections are also seen.

Sugar in urine
As the body cannot metabolize blood sugar so it excreted in urine.

Excessive growth of the unborn
In some cases this symptom is also seen.

Excessive weight gain in pregnant women
Most of the women gain weight during pregnancy but it can be more than normal in diabetes.

Elevated blood pressure
In all types of diabetes blood pressure is more than normal value.

Itchy skin
Due to poor blood supply to the skin patient may feel itchy skin.

Gestational Diabetes Causes

Hormonal changes and the hormones that form placenta can increase blood sugar level during pregnancy. In pregnancy the balance of glucagon and insulin is disturbed. So it is said that pancreases of a pregnant woman should always secrete more insulin to properly metabolize the sugar. And the fact is that it is increased in this duration which after birth comes back to the normal value.
The causes of this type of diabetes are similar to the rest of the two types of diabetes. The most common causes are
•    Overweight
•    Genetic factor
•    Lack of exercise
•    Improper diet
Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis
From last trimester of the pregnancy demand of insulin is increased in the body and it should be monitored.
In the simple screening test blood glucose blood glucose value is determined by the food intake and after one hour of administration of 50 grams of glucose solution. If it is over 140 g/dl then it indicates gestational diabetes. This simple test can be performed easily by the gynecologist.
What can you do yourself
• Learn how to maintain your blood sugar.
• Move around regularly.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Distribute the three main meals in six to seven small meals all over the day. This will decrease the large load of sugar metabolism in the body.

Type1 Diabetes Symptoms and Signs

Diabetes is common disease around the world population and particularly its ratio increases as the age of a person increases. That is why about 2 person people under 50 years are affected by diabetes while on the other hand about 20 percent people above 70 are dietetic. Type I is the rarer form of diabetes while type 2 is more common and more than 90 percent of type 1. Type I is more common in population under 25 years.
Type 1 diabetes is due to absolute lack of insulin hormone. So this type of diabetes mellitus is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes. The disease usually begins in childhood and teenage, but it can also develop in older ages.
Diabetes mellitus type 1 is currently not curable, but it can be controlled with insulin treatment . However, in type 1 diabetes patient have to inject insulin whole life.  For all diabetic patients it is necessary to maintain blood sugar level. It is done not only to metabolize blood glucose but also to prevent diabetic complications such as eye disease ( diabetic retinopathy ), nerve damage ( diabetic neuropathy ), kidney disease ( diabetic nephropathy ) and hardening of the arteries ( atherosclerosis )

Type1 Diabetes Symptoms

Type1 diabetes has some symptoms similar like type 2 diabetes symptoms but some could be more complicated. A list of Diabetes type 1 symptoms is given below.
•    Increased thirst
•    Increased urination
•    Unexplained weight loss
•    Cravings
•    Fatigue
•    Itching
•    Skin itching
•    Aching of the skin folds
•    Slow-healing wounds
•    Ulcer
•    Headache
•    Blurred vision
•    Infectious inclination
•    Nausea, vomiting
All of these symptoms do not appear in early stages. Conversely, these symptoms are typical which are also associated with the other diseases.
However if these symptoms occur in combination then you should go to a doctor and let him examine you sugar level.
Increased Thirst
In diabetes over two-thirds of patients complain increases thirst. This thirst is due to the reason that our body wants to eliminate excess sugar in blood and it is done through kidneys. If the glucose level has increased to 160 mg/dl then it is excreted in urine.
Increased urination
An increased thirst results in increased urination. It is due to the fact that body wants to get rid of increased sugar level which is secreted in urine.

Unexplained Weight Loss
A lot if glucose is already present in the body and it occurs in liver which is made from stored glycogen. As the body does not produce glucose from newly ingested food so it is not produced in the body. Due to this reason body may become weak.

Cravings
As the patient lacks essential nutrients in the body which are exerted in the body, he may feel strong cravings.

Fatigue
The lack of essential nutrients reduces the efficiency of a human being and results in fatigue. The patient feels tiredness and weakness.

Itching
Over a quarter of new cases of diabetes type 1 it is seen that they suffer from severe itching. It is due to the fact that the body lacks a normal level of insulin and cells receives poor supply. Due to this reason poorly nourished skin begin to itch
Due to the lack of insulin the body cells are not sufficiently supplied, must be added a poorer blood supply.
Along with this a disorder of the nerves, the so-called “neuropathy” also leads to additional discomfort.

Skin Tingling
Skin tingling which feels like if an ant running over the skin and it is also similar to itching.
Soreness of the skin folds
The skin receiving low blood supply is very irritable. Especially on rubbing it produce pain in the skin layers.

Slow Healing Wounds
Due to disturbed metabolism patient’s body is not able to cure wounds soon. Healing process is slow which is also due to low circulation of blood.

Ulcer
Ulceration is also increased during diabetes in certain parts of the body.

Headache
Glucose can deposit in many parts of the body and also in brain which can cause frequent headaches.

Blurred Vision
Diabetes can also cause vision problem including blurred vision that may be caused by nerve damage or any other cause.

Infectious Inclination
Due to weak cells the immune system becomes inefficient. Body may become more susceptible to invading pathogens.

Nausea, Vomiting
In diabetes fat metabolism of the body is disturbed and during fat loss ketone bodies are increased in the blood. These ketone bodies can trigger vomiting and nausea

So if you observe some symptoms of type 1 diabetes in the body then you should immediately contact to a doctor. Ignorance can also result in failure of some organs.

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms, Signs and Diagnosis

Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder that is gradually becoming a worldwide problem. The bodies of the victims cannot adequately utilize carbohydrates such as sugar and the result is an elevated blood sugar levels . Type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed very late.
Type 2 diabetes was formerly referred to as “non-insulin dependent diabetes” or adult-onset diabetes. The reason is that treatment is not depended on insulin as in type 1 diabetes and the second thing is that type 2 diabetes usually occurs on only in the elderly. But in the meantime this disease is also increasing in obese children and young. Scientists have estimated that the number of type 2 diabetic patients will increase because people are getting fatter and older.
There are more than 194 million diabetic patients in the world. This represents 5.1 percent of the adult population. The vast majority of them suffer from Type 2 diabetes.

Questionable Sugar Levels

The patient of type 2 diabetes has impaired glucose tolerance which means that the body cannot utilize carbohydrates properly. The impaired glucose tolerance is often accompanied  by overweight , high blood pressure , high blood lipid levels and increased uric acid levels. These symptoms can collectively term as metabolic syndrome. Oral glucose tolerance test is performed to test diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Symptoms

Nonspecific Signs
Type 2 diabetes has some symptoms of tsype 1 diabete but their onset is rapid and more clear. Some of the common symptoms are given below
•  Increased thirst (polydipsia)
•  With sickness, fatigue and weakness
•  Itching
•  Increased susceptibility to infections (especially skin infections, urinary tract infections)

•  Fatigue
•  Dizziness
• Nighttime urination
•  Nausea
•  Muscle cramps

•  Headache
Signs of complications
Because the initial symptoms are nonspecific, type-2 diabetes is often diagnosed by chance during a routine examination. The following symptoms may indicate a secondary diseases such diabetes:
•    Slow-healing wounds, especially on the legs or feet
•    Weakening of vision ( retinopathy )
•    Nerve damage with tingling or numbness in the legs (polyneuropathy)
•    Chest pain as a sign of coronary heart disease (CHD)
If you have seen these symptoms in the body then pay special attention to them because they can be fetal if you are obese or type 2 diabetes in family. It also applies to those women who have diabetes in previous pregnancy also known as gestational diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Diagnosis

Measuring Blood Sugar

If the above symptoms are seen in someone then the first step to take is to check blood sugar level. For this purpose a test called as blood sugar test is perform and there are mainly two methods to perform it. For the diagnosis of diabetes blood sugar level during fasting (8 hours without eating) is noted.
Evaluation of Measured Values
In healthy people, blood sugar during fasting is 100 mg/dl. If the fasting values at more than 126 mg/dl or occasionally a measured value above 200 mg /dl then the person is said to be diabetic. If the fasting blood glucose level resides between 100 to 126 mg/dl then an oral glucose tolerance test ( OGTT ) is performed. Diabetes mellitus occurs when the blood sugar level becomes greater than 200 mg/dl after two hours of taking glucose drink.
If you have seen some diabetes symptoms in your body then you should not be negligent and visit a physician as soon as possible.