Diabetes is today affecting a wide variety of population all across the globe. It is caused either due to the lack of proper production of insulin by the pancreas or due to the improper use of insulin in the human body. This gives rise to the blood sugar level or the glucose level in the body as it is the hormone insulin which is responsible for the breakdown of the carbohydrates and the other essential nutrients in the food to release the much-needed energy by the cells. As a result, diabetes is known to cause a lot of complications including heart and kidney -related conditions, amputations of different body parts, skin disorders, amongst a lot of other conditions.

It is very important to understand the early signs of diabetes. The sooner you are diagnosed, the better will be the chances of dealing with diabetes effectively. If the condition is diagnosed later, treating it becomes an issue and several complications further develop.

What are the Early Diabetes Signs and How Do I Know that I Have Diabetes?

As we know by now, the signs of diabetes are either very subtle or they may not show up at all. It is very important to understand that you have diabetes. Following are a few visible symptoms that might help you in realizing that you have diabetes:

• Increased thirst and urination.
• Loss of weight.
• Delayed healing of sores.
• Blurred vision.
• Feeling weak and tired.
• Nausea and the constant feeling of vomiting.
• Dry mouth.

When you or your family members have any of the above signs and symptoms, do not delay in showing to the doctor. The signs may be subtle but it is important to know that you are diabetic. The earlier you know about it, the better will you be able to manage the condition effectively.

In the following paragraphs, we shall learn about the signs and symptoms of different types of diabetes separately and in detail.

What are Type 1 Diabetes Signs?

Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas of the body which is responsible for producing insulin are unable to do so due to several factors and considerations. As type 1 is common in children, the condition is also known as juvenile diabetes.

While type 1 diabetes is said to develop only gradually, the signs and symptoms start appearing and showing themselves all of a sudden. Some of the signs include the following:

• Feeling extremely thirsty at all times.
• Feeling extremely weak and tired.
• Frequent need to urinate, particularly at night.
• Abdominal pains all of a sudden.
• In girl child, the menstrual cycle is hindered.
• The child is experiencing blurred vision.
• Mood changes of the child have become very frequent and sudden
• Your child remains irritated most of the times
• Feeling of vomiting or nausea at all times.
• There are wounds which take a far longer time to heal than before.
• Sudden weight loss.
• Blood pressure is decreasing.
• Low body temperature
• Rapid heart rate.

What are Type 2 Diabetes Signs?

Like in the case of type 1 diabetes, the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes also develop all of a sudden. Following are a few type 2 diabetes symptoms:

• The patient experiences increased thirst as well the frequent need to urinate. This happens because as we know, with diabetes, there is an increase in the level of blood glucose. When this glucose builds up in the bloodstream of your child, the blood cells start pulling all fluids from the cells. As a result, your child feels thirsty more frequently for want of fluids. With this, there is an increasing frequency to urinate as well.
• Healing of sores and wounds take a lot of time.
• The patient experiences lack of energy in his or her body.
• Blurred vision is another known symptom.
• there is a frequent desire to eat food as it is food which provides the necessary energy.
• Another symptom of this type of diabetes is that there could be numbness or irritation that can be caused in the hands and feet.
• Dry mouth, as well as itchy skin, could be amongst a few other symptoms.
• Finally, as the body becomes resistant to insulin, type 2 diabetes leads to the darkening of the skin. The darkening is much more evident in certain areas of the skin which includes the armpits and the neck. This darkening is also known as acanthosis nigricans.

Signs of Gestational Diabetes

In the case of gestational diabetes, there are often no symptoms at all. However, a few signs of gestational diabetes may include increased thirst, increased urination, increased hunger, and blurred vision in the expecting mother.

Signs of Diabetes-Specific to Men

Following are a few symptoms of diabetes which are very specific to men:

• Males experience loss of muscle mass due to which the male patients experience a tremendous loss of strength.
• If the blood sugar levels are too high, the male reproductive organ may experience a yeast The signs of such infection could be:
• Bad odor
• Redness around the male organs
• Itching and soreness
• A white unusual appearance on the skin
• As per the reports by Diabetes UK,if the condition goes undiagnosed for a long time, the males may experience what is known as erectile dysfunction which hinders the entire process of reproduction.

Signs of Diabetes-Specific to Women

Following are the symptoms of diabetes which are specific to women:

• Like in the case of men, one of the symptoms that are specific to women is a yeast infection in the female reproductive parts. Some signs of the same include:
• Redness around the female parts.
• Bad odor
• Pain experienced.
• Also, there is a lack of drive to have sex in women.
• The nerve damage caused due to diabetes leads to the problem in sexual arousal in both men and women who are suffering from diabetes.
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is also a sign that the women is suffering from diabetes. The condition is highly associated with type 2 diabetes.

Comparison of Diabetes in Men and Women

Signs of diabetes in both men and women are similar as above. However, there are a few differences when it comes to the condition in females as compared to their male counterparts.

• Women with diabetes tend to live lesser when compared to the males with the same condition.
• The effect of diabetes on the females is much stronger and complicated than in men.
• The association between diabetes and the heart-related condition is also stronger in females as compared to that in males.
• Similarly, the kidney disease is also more common and complicated in women with diabetes.
• Finally, depression is two times in women with diabetes as compared to men.

Signs of Diabetes in Kids

Kids generally suffer from type 1 diabetes. There are a lot of children who suffer from the condition. Most of the signs and symptoms of diabetes in kids are similar to the ones as already mentioned above. Some of the specific signs include:

• Yeast infections in a girl child who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
• Diabetic Ketoacidos is in children caused when diabetes goes undiagnosed for a long time. There are ketones which build up in the cells due to the high levels of blood glucose which might result to even death.

Read Also: Type 2 Diabetes in Children

Recommendations

Following are a few recommendations which shall go a long way in dealing with diabetes effectively:

• Try to keep the blood sugar and glucose levels under control.
• Quit smoking and Alcohol drinking.
• Adapt a healthy lifestyle and exercise as recommended by the experts.
• Lose all the excess body weight in a healthy way.
• Adopt a healthy diet as recommended by the experts.

We hope that the above post has been helpful in removing some of the doubts you had with regards to the early signs and symptoms of diabetes and how are these different in both men and women.We also noticed the difference inthe symptoms in case of different diabetes types. Having discovered the early symptoms, it is very important that you rush to the doctor at the earliest possible time so that the patient can get adequate care and dealing with the condition can get a little less complicated!