Symptoms of diabetes Overview

can be vague or very dramatic, depending on the individual and the type of diabetes. Both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes can present with excessive thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, and blurred vision.


Type 2 diabetes generally develops from prediabetes  gradually over a long period of time, often in older adults, and symptoms may not occur or be noticeable for years. In contrast, type 1 diabetes develops quickly, often in children, and symptoms can be striking. If not treated promptly type 1 diabetes can quickly result in critical conditions, such as diabetic ketoacidosis,  hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome, shock, and death.

Left untreated, all three types of diabetes can lead to serious long-term complications, such as kidney failure, blindness, serious skin infections, gangrene, diabetic neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, cardiovascular disease, birth defects, and stroke.

Pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes often do not have symptoms. They may however, experience excessive thirst and excessive urination. Complications of untreated gestational diabetes include the development of preeclampsia in the mother and developmental problems, respiratory distress syndrome, and excessive growth of the baby....more about Diabetes »

Diabetes symptoms:

The symptoms of diabetes progress according to the range and duration of high blood sugar levels. The symptoms usually start mild (e.g. poorly healing skin rashes), and then progress to the more severe symptoms (e.g. excessive thirst and urination), and then finally to the dangerous life-threatening conditions of HHNS or DKA. The progression of symptoms is usually slow over years for Type 2 diabetes and rapid over weeks or months for Type 1 diabetes. People with Type 2 diabetes often are undiagnosed long enough that they start to get symptoms of the complications of diabetes, such as kidney and foot problems.

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Diabetes includes the 64 symptoms listed below:

    * No early symptoms - many people have Type 2 diabetes without knowing it

    * Early mild symptoms - from moderate blood sugars (which are still dangerous and lead to serious complications):

          o Abscess
          o Skin rashes
          o Skin infections
          o Athlete's foot
          o Poor skin healing
          o Urinary tract infections
          o Candida
          o Thrush
          o Dry itchy skin
          o Flaky skin
          o Skin ulcers
          o Skin boils
          o Peripheral neuropathy
          o Paresthesias
          o Foot tingling
          o Foot numbness
          o Hand tingling
          o Hand numbness
          o Blurred vision
          o Sexual problems
          o Erectile failure
          o Unusual vaginal dryness
          o Premature menopause
          o Absent periods
          o Poor healing - any type of difficulty healing of minor infections, injury or after surgery.
          o Weight loss
          o Weight gain
          o Drowsiness
          o Malaise
    

* Later more extreme symptoms when blood sugars get higher:
          o Excessive thirst
          o Excessive urination
          o Dehydration
          o Bed wetting - in children
          o Excessive hunger
          o Tiredness
          o Weight loss
          o Severe blurred vision
          o Muscle cramps
          o Muscle aches
          o Headaches
          o Irritability
          o Tiredness
          o Fatigue
          o Muscle weakness
          o Acne - often worsens from diabetes and improves once sugars controlled
          o Sexual problems
                + Erectile failure
                + Unusual vaginal dryness
          o Absent menstrual periods
          o Persistent fungal skin infections
                + Athlete's foot
                + Tinea
                + Thrush (Candida)
    * Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS) - a very severe life-threatening complication of high blood sugars
    * Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) - a very severe life-threatening complication of high blood sugars, requiring emergency treatment, which has very severe symptoms:
          o Nausea
          o Vomiting
          o Sweet-smelling fruity acetone breath
          o Breathing difficulty
          o Rapid Pulse
          o Abdominal pain - usually in children