Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Type 2 diabetes symptoms usually occur in men and women over the age of 40. Type 2 diabetes is also sometimes called non-insulin dependent diabetes or adult onset diabetes.
Symptoms are sometimes mild enough or so common that people may have the disease for many years without even knowing it. Right now in the United States there are around 6 million people who have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes symptoms.
One of the first symptoms of type 2 diabetes is an increased thirst and frequent urination. When there is too much sugar (glucose) in the blood, fluid is taken away from tissues, causing thirst. Because you are increasingly thirsty you drink more, and then have to urinate more.
Another one of the type 2 diabetes symptoms is extreme hunger. You might be hungry all the time, even after you have just eaten. That is because insulin is needed in the cells to convert blood sugar into energy. Not finding enough insulin, muscles and organs have no energy and this causes hunger. It’s a tricky situation because hunger may cause you to eat more and being overweight is one of the conditions that make triggers type 2 diabetes.
It might seem strange but even though you are hungrier than normal and may even increase the amount you eat, you still could have weight loss, another type 2 diabetes symptom. Because your cells are not getting enough energy you might lose muscle and fat in addition to the fluid from urinating frequently.
As your cells are denied the necessary energy they need you will become tired and irritable. Sometimes these feelings are also combined a feeling of despair and general depression.
People with type 2 diabetes symptoms often suffer from blurred vision. High blood sugar deprives the eyes of the moisture they need. You may have trouble focusing, reading or even driving. Complications in later stages of diabetes also can have a significant impact on the eyes, even causing blindness.
A sudden eruption of sores of various kinds can be indications of diabetes as can a variety of skin conditions. These will also be very slow to heal and may not heal at all without seeing a doctor to get appropriate medication.
Many women who have type 2 diabetes symptoms get more than their share of infections, especially of the bladder and vagina. These can be particularly troubling if they occur frequently and will require medical intervention and antibiotics. Dryness of the vagina is also possible.
The good news is that all of these symptoms can be treated if proper care is taken of type 2 diabetes. For most people they may be controlled with proper diet, exercise and medications that lower blood sugar levels or help the body to produce or use its own insulin better.