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| Diabetes
Symptoms If you seem to have all the symptoms
of diabetes, your doctor should perform the tests that
will determine whether you have it-and what type it is.
Even if you don't appear to be at risk, knowing diabetes
symptoms and causes may help you or a loved one make the
lifestyle changes that will decrease the risk
further.Type 1 DiabetesAlthough Type 1 diabetes (often
called Juvenile Onset Diabetes) used to be categorized as
a childhood or young adult disease, it can occur at any
age. Diabetes symptoms begin out of nowhere and can
develop over just a few days. If the person doesn't have
a family history of the disease, the possibility of
diabetes may not even be considered.The classic signs of
diabetes are:
 | excessive urination including frequent trips to the
bathroom in the middle of the night |
| intense thirst and hunger · severe fatigue. |
As Type 1 diabetes progresses other signs of
diabetes may include:
| dry skin |
| blurred vision |
| unexplained weight loss |
| thin, malnourished appearance. |
Fortunately many of these diabetic signs are similar to a
more controllable form of the disease, Type 2 diabetes.
Only 5-10% of the people expressing the classic diabetic
symptoms will be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.Type 2
DiabetesPhysical health is key to this syndrome-80% of
Type 2 diabetics are overweight and physically inactive.
This was once thought to be a middle-aged disease, but
since childhood obesity
has been on the rise, cases of Type 2 diabetes are being
diagnosed at every age. The majority of Type 2 diabetics
are still over 55.
Some high-risk groups of
people are inclined to develop the syndrome:
| people whose parents, brothers or sisters have the
syndrome |
| Americans of African, Alaska Native, American Indian,
Asian, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander descent |
| women who have given birth to a baby weighing more
than 9 pounds |
| women who have had diabetes during pregnancy
(gestational diabetes). |
Type 2 diabetes is a gradual syndrome with the signs of
diabetes developing over years. Although the person may
experience excessive urination and thirst, there may be
no other apparent diabetic signs. Weight loss and hunger
may go unnoticed. For this reason, annual screening for
the disease after age 45 is a good idea, especially for
anyone who is in a high-risk category.
As Type 2
diabetes progresses, some diabetes symptoms may become
apparent:
| fatigue and/or nausea |
| frequent urination |
| excessive thirst |
| weight loss |
| blurred vision |
| frequent infections and slow healing of wounds or
sores |
| blood pressure consistently at or above 140/90 |
| HDL cholesterol less than 35 mg/dL or triglycerides
greater than 250 mg/dL |
| a history of abnormal glucose tolerance test results
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Gestational DiabetesSometimes a woman can develop a form
of diabetes during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is the
most common complication of pregnancy and can endanger
the life of the mother as well as the child. Thankfully,
with early diagnosis of diabetic signs and careful
monitoring, the severity of this syndrome can be
controlled. It is usually only a temporary syndrome that
lasts until delivery. It can, however, place the mother
at risk to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. All
expectant mothers are usually carefully monitored during
their regular checkups, especially if they fall into a
high-risk group:
| older than 25 years of age |
| 20% above ideal body weight |
| a family history of diabetes |
| member of a high-risk ethnic group. |
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