Diabetes mellitus is a condition in the endocrine which is associated with abnormalities in blood sugar and insulin. It has two types. Type I is referred to as insulin dependent diabetes caused by insufficient amounts of insulin needed to regulate blood sugar efficiently. Type II is referred to as insulin resistant diabetes because the body has developed resistance to the insulin resulting into inefficient thereof. Common diabetes symptoms for both types include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, excessive and unusual thirst, excessive and frequent urination, increased appetite leading to excessive eating, poor healing of wounds, a manifestation of inflammations and infections, blurred vision, and altered mental status in some cases.
Symptoms
Fatigue, one of the diabetes symptoms, causes the body to be inactive and as such the stored glucose is not used properly. It results in fat metabolism which causes the body to feel tired and exhausted. Unexplained weight loss results from the inability of the body to process the food taken. An apparent weight loss may occur even though the person is either eating appropriately or excessively. Excessive thirst and frequent urination are two interconnected symptoms. Due to high sugar in the blood stream, the kidney is pressured to excrete excess sugar through urine, which makes a diabetic person have increased urination frequency. Because the high amount of water is flushed out of the body every time urine is excreted, there is a need to replenish it, and the brain counteracts this and interprets it as thirst.
Poor healing of wounds is one of the more serious diabetes symptoms. The high level of blood sugar interferes with the white blood cells which defend the body against viruses and bacteria, and with the cleaning and regeneration of dead cells and tissue. This results in longer periods of time for wounds to heal. The wounds also become more prone to infections. The manifestations of infections like yeast infections in the genitals, skin infections, as well as urinary tract infection, are also symptoms of diabetes.
Due to the presence of high level of sugar in the blood, it becomes a catalyst for bacteria to grow, causing these infections. Although the connection of blurred vision is still unclear, the symptom is commonly present in persons with the high level of blood sugar. Altered mental status evident with attention, memory and cognitive deficits is also a symptom of diabetes. It is of high significance to seek professional help if any of these diabetes symptoms, especially alteration of mental state shows.
Complications
Ignoring diabetes symptoms, even the simplest of them can lead to more serious medical conditions, such as complications. Some of the known complications are nausea and vomiting, high degrees of fever, ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome, large sores on feet and legs, skin lacerations, chest pains, and abdominal pain. These complications particularly chest pain and abdominal pain can also lead to heart attacks, abdominal aortic aneurysm, appendicitis, perforated ulcer, bowel obstructions, as well as kidney and gall bladder problems.
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