What Are the Common Symptoms of Diabetes?

What Are the Common Symptoms of Diabetes?

Most of the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes are the same. In both cases, the sugar level in the blood is high but is not available to the cells in the body.
In type 1 diabetes, the most common cause is lack of insulin due to the destruction of the pancreas, the organ which is responsible for insulin production. In type 2 diabetes, the cells become resistant to insulin. In both cases, you experience the signs and symptoms of diabetes such as:

Frequent Urination

Since sugar can no longer be used by the cells, they will stay in the bloodstream. When there is excess sugar in our blood, it will pull fluid from the tissues. This fluid will dilute the excess sugar and wash them out of the body through the urine. This is the body's mechanism of getting rid of the sugar from the bloodstream.
Increased Thirst

Frequent urination has little to do with the increase in thirst. The main reason why diabetic people always feel thirsty is due to the fact that fluids are being pulled out from the tissues. To replace fluid to the tissues, the body's primary response is to feel thirsty.
Extreme Hunger

When we eat, the food will be broken down and will be converted to sugar. This sugar is absorbed in the blood to be delivered in the cells of the body. In order for these sugars to be transferred to the cells, insulin is needed. Insulin works as a transporter of sugar from the blood to the cells. However, in the case of diabetes, there is not enough insulin. So what happens is, the sugar stays in the blood and the cells don't get any sugar. This is why you will feel hungry even if you eat a lot of food.
Weight Loss

Even if you eat a lot, you will still lose weight. It is because the sugar cannot be transported to the cells. We all know the sugar is the source of the body's energy. During times when sugar is not available for the cells to use, the body's response would be to break down stored fats or even muscles and convert them to useful energy. When fats are broken down, you will lose weight.
These are the main signs and symptoms of diabetes. Other symptoms include weakness and fatigue, tingling or numbness of the legs, feet or hands, frequent infections and dryness of the skin.

During the late stage of the disease, the most common symptom that some people experience is a wound that takes too long to heal. This commonly occurs in the feet. There a number of reasons for this. One is poor circulation. When the sugar levels in the blood are high, the tendency is that the fatty deposits build up in the artery walls which and damage the proteins in along the arteries, not allowing blood to circulate effectively. Other reasons are due to nerve damage and the immune system is not working well due to the presence of high levels of sugar in the blood.

If you experience these symptoms, don't hesitate to visit your doctor for a medical check up. Your doctor will prick your hand to check for your blood sugar level.