healthcaresource.net
Sponsored Diabetes Symptoms Results:
Health Care » Diseases & Disorders » Diabetes Symptoms

Early Diabetes Symptoms

By:

Published: April 11, 2007

If the fact that there are over 20 million people in the United States with diabetes is amazing, then the fact that over 6 million of those people have yet to be diagnosed is mind-blowing. Diabetes is ravishing bodies and nations alike. How is it possible for such a serious disease to go unnoticed?

The early symptoms of diabetes are often undetected because they may not seem severe and they can also be associated with other conditions. The most serious issues do not lie with the diabetes symptoms themselves, but with the complications that arise from the lack of treatment. Knowledge of diabetes symptoms is essential in order to diagnose diabetes and prevent the complications that can arise from diabetes that goes undiagnosed and untreated.

There are not many early symptoms of diabetes. The diabetes symptoms that do exist are all signs that the body is struggling to maintain its health. Diabetes develops when the body does not properly produce or use insulin. This deficiency affects the body's ability to correctly process certain foods such as sugars and starches. Common diabetes symptoms caused by these malfunctions are: an increase in urination, thirst, hunger, and fatigue; unexplained weight loss; blurry vision; irritability; infections and wounds that do not heal as quickly as they once did. Factors such as age, weight, activity level, and ethnicity also contribute to one's risk of developing diabetes.

These factors and a prevalence of one or more of the diabetes symptoms should be taken seriously and discussed with a health care provider. A doctor has the ability to run tests for diabetes. The fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and the oral glucose tolerance (OGT) tests are used to confirm a diabetes diagnosis if a person is experiencing diabetes symptoms. The fasting test is the test that is performed most often.

If the diabetes symptoms continue to go unnoticed or are ignored, then serious complications may develop. Heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease and amputation are all complications that can arise from diabetes that goes undiagnosed and untreated. There is no cure for diabetes, but there are methods that are used to combat these complications. By controlling one's blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids it becomes possible to lessen the chances of developing one of the life-threatening complications of diabetes. Exercise, diet and weight control also contribute to maintaining health in spite of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association maintains a website (www.diabetes.org) with a plethora of up-to-date information and resources on diabetes.

Paying attention to the body and treating diabetes symptoms often leads to the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of diabetes. Fear or a lack of knowledge can lead people to ignore diabetes symptoms or to go without treatment. The more aware a person is of how their body functions and how to take care of it, the greater that person's chances are of avoiding the life-threatening complications associated with diabetes.


Sources:
All About Diabetes. American Diabetes Association. 2007. 10 April 2007. http://www.diabetes.org/about-diabetes.jsp
"Diabetes Symptoms. " eMedicineHealth. 30 Dec. 2005. WebMD. 10 April 2007
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/diabetes/page3_em .htm
Diabetes: How Do I Know If I Have It? FamilyDoctor.org. 2000-2006. American Academy of Family Physicians. 10 April 2007. http://www.familydoctor.org/327.xml.

Featured Diabetes Symptoms Products: