Understanding The Early Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Very often the early symptoms of diabetes can be confused with other chronic illnesses. Typically, Type 2 Diabetes does not present itself until the age of 40; however more and more children are being diagnosed with this disease every day due to the high rate of obesity and lack of sufficient physical activity.
For the most part, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is the most commonly diagnosed form of the illness. This class of diabetes is non-insulin dependent or NIDDM and can easily be managed with a proper diet and exercise regimen. However, if this particular type of diabetes goes on without treatment, renal and cardiovascular disease can be the result.
With Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be mild and go unnoticed for years causing a delay in treatment. It is characterized by a resistance to the insulin that is being produced by the islet cells located in the pancreas.
In An Emergency:
Those that are unaware of having diabetes are at a very high risk for experiencing an emergency event when their symptoms become extreme. In addition, there is an even greater risk of experiencing hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels, which is the exact opposite of diabetes mellitus.
There are two types of a diabetic emergency:
Hyperglycemia occurs with not enough insulin and too much glucose in the blood. This is caused by eating more than you should, no physical activity, and you didn’t take the proper amount of insulin. This can lead to a diabetic coma. This person is in need of insulin.
Hypoglycemia is the second type of diabetic emergency event. This episode will occur when there is too much insulin and not enough sugar in the blood which can lead to diabetic shock. Common contributing factors include too much exercise, not enough food intake and injecting too much insulin. Someone experiencing this type of event is in need of sugar.
Both emergencies have the same measure of assistance. The sufferer can be given something to eat or drink such as milk, orange juice or a candy bar to lessen the severity of the symptoms followed by professional medical care.
What are the early signs?
Elevated urinary output: Occurs due to elevated glucose levels and the body’s attempt to get rid of it. Excessive thirst: Is due to the frequent urination, causing dehydration Impaired vision: Vision may be blurred due to damage to the ocular vascular system Feelings of hunger: Caused by excessive insulin that is not being used properly Lethargy: Is related to the elevated glucose levels Erectile dysfunction Frequent bacterial and fungal infections Slow healing wounds:
If you are experiencing some or all of the signs and symptoms, the next step is visiting your health care provider for proper testing to determine the cause. Types of testing include:
Blood glucose test: Normal values for glucose is around 110 mg/dl. A reading of 126 mg/dl or more is indicative of diabetes. If your blood sugars are high on two occasions of testing, the diagnosis is most likely diabetes.
Other testing includes:
A Fasting Plasma Glucose An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) A Random Plasma Glucose Test – No fasting is involved.
Fasting for eight hours before many of these tests is crucial in achieving a true, accurate reading of your glucose levels. When we eat, our glucose level naturally rises, thus the reason for fasting.
Knowing the signs and symptoms of diabetes, as well as one’s risks for developing the disease will help in getting early treatment and prevention of complications.
Barb Hicks is a licensed registered nurse and featured health writer on Clivir.com where she shares her experience and knowledge about Diabetic Diet and Diabetes Causes.
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