Symptoms of diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which a person has extremely high blood sugar. Depending on the classification of diabetes, this high blood sugar may be a result of the body’s inability to produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body process glucose or sugar. This case is often referred to as Type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. Meanwhile, high blood sugar may be due to the body’s resistance to the functions of insulin or its inability to use insulin properly. This is referred to as Type 2 diabetes. Sometimes, diabetes can develop during pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes.

While the underlying cause may vary, diabetes symptoms are usually the same. The symptoms are characterized by three major conditions – increased thirst, increased appetite and frequent urination. These diabetes symptoms occur because as the blood sugar increases, the body is unable to properly absorb the sugar. This leads to some of the sugar being excreted together with the urine. Since the composition of the urine has changed, the body reacts by lessening its re-absorption of water. Simply put, this means that because the urine has too much sugar, the body consequently releases more water, all in an effort to make the urine’s composition more balanced.

Since the body releases too much fluid, the person constantly feels thirsty. Because of the body’s inability to harness the energy in the sugar that is being consumed, the person may also feel constantly hungry and is compelled to eat more than usual. However, since the body still can’t process the sugar correctly, the person may feel loss in energy leading to an overall sense of fatigue. It is also common for the diabetic person to lose weight.

Diabetes symptoms also include some blurring in the vision as well as other visual impairment. Slow healing sores and rashes may also be observed.