Tag: Diabetes Symptoms

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Diabetes Symptoms in Women

Diabetes affects both men and women, and diabetes symptoms in women are often the same as those in men. In the United States, more than 10% of women 20 years old and over have diabetes. This chronic condition affects the body’s ability to absorb and utilize glucose or blood sugar. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to health complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, blindness, and skin infections. Knowing the different diabetes symptoms in women is your first line of defense when it comes to managing the condition.

Diabetes Symptoms in Women and Men

A number of diabetes symptoms affect both men and women. These symptoms include:

  • Excessive thirst. This is a very common diabetes symptom in women and can happen despite drinking plenty of water.
  • Increased frequency of urination, especially at night. Although women often urinate more than men do, this can also be a diabetes symptom and is very common in women.
  • Frequent hunger. Women who have diabetes can experience extreme hunger and an increase in appetite.
  • Unwanted or unexplained weight loss. This diabetes symptom in men and women is caused by the body’s inability to utilize glucose for energy.
  • Constant fatigue. Lack of energy makes men and women feel tired all the time.
  • Blurred vision. High levels of glucose in the blood can accumulate in the lens of the eye, causing it to change in shape. This results in blurred vision.
  • Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet. Failure to manage blood sugar levels can damage the nerves in the body’s extremities.
  • Recurring infections and wounds that heal slowly. This diabetes symptom in women and men may be the result of a weakened immune system.

Diabetes Symptoms in Women

One of the symptoms that women with diabetes have is recurring vaginal infections. Vaginal yeast infections may occur frequently especially if the blood sugar level is poorly controlled. If you get frequent vaginal or skin infections, it may be a good idea to ask your doctor if you may have diabetes.

Other Challenges for Women with Diabetes

Women who have diabetes often face additional challenges on top of the diabetes symptoms they may be experiencing. They often have a higher risk for depression compared to women without diabetes. Blood sugar levels in women may also be affected by the menstrual cycle, birth control pills, and pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes is also a cause for concern in pregnant women. This special type of diabetes occurs only in women and affects approximately 4% of pregnant women who have no previous symptoms of diabetes. Gestational diabetes can develop during the late stages of pregnancy. It is treatable and has no permanent effects on the mother or child.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Diabetes Symptoms in Men

Diabetes Symptoms in Men is an accurate way to watch your health and to help you to guess whether you have diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are abnormally high because the body cells are unable to absorb glucose from the bloodstream and utilize it for energy. The condition may arise because the body produces too little or no insulin, or the body may fail to respond to insulin. Diabetes produces a number of symptoms in both men and women. This article discusses the common diabetes symptoms in men.

Common Diabetes Symptoms in Men

Some of the early signs and symptoms of diabetes are similar to the symptoms of other health disorders, making it difficult to recognize the condition. But early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes is vital in order to prevent complications. Diabetes symptoms in men include:

Excessive thirst and urination. One of the most common symptoms of diabetes is excessive thirst. This symptom can be experienced by both men and women. High levels of glucose in the blood causes the kidneys to work double time and draw more water from the blood. This results in thirst and a frequent need to urinate.

Diabetes Symptoms in Men

Diabetes Symptoms in Men

Unexplained weight loss. If you have not made any changes in your diet or amount of physical activity but find yourself losing weight, you may have diabetes. Diabetes can cause weight loss because the body cells cannot absorb and utilize glucose from the blood effectively.

Constant fatigue. If you feel rundown and tired all the time, you may be displaying one of the diabetes symptoms in men. The body cells’ inability to utilize energy-giving glucose can result in chronic fatigue.

Constant hunger. Some diabetic patients can experience an increase in appetite. This happens if the body increases its production of insulin in order to bring down blood glucose levels. High levels of insulin in the body increases hunger. Some diabetic patients can start eating more and gain weight, but others can still lose weight despite increasing their food intake.

Nerve damage. Consistently high levels of sugar in the blood can damage the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Nerve damage causes tingling and numbness in the extremities such as the legs, toes, feet, hands and fingers.

Erectile dysfunction. This is one of the most important diabetes symptoms in men. High levels of blood sugar associated with diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels of the penis, leading to erectile dysfunction.

Poor healing. Diabetes may affect the immune system, causing recurring infections and difficulty with wound healing.

Vision changes. This diabetes symptom in men and women can happen if the condition is left untreated, and may even lead to blindness. The buildup of glucose can affect the shape of the lens, resulting in vision changes. Diabetes can also damage the blood vessels in the eye.

These are the most common Diabetes symptoms in men to watch out for and of course go to a doctor if you have any concern that this is what you are suffering from.

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Borderline Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes is a chronic disease wherein blood sugar levels are elevated. This can happen when the body does not produce sufficient insulin, or if cells in the body do not respond to insulin. If you have not been officially diagnosed with diabetes but your blood sugar levels are chronically slightly high, you may have pre-diabetes or borderline diabetes. Pre-diabetes or borderline diabetes is cause for concern. If you are experiencing any of the borderline diabetes symptoms listed below, it’s best to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms of Borderline Diabetes

* Frequent need to urinate. Frequent urination, especially at night, can be a borderline diabetes symptom.

* Constant fatigue. If you feel constantly tired all day, you may have pre-diabetes.

* Constantly being thirsty. One of the common borderline diabetes symptoms is excessive thirst, even after drinking plenty of water.

* Unexplained weight loss. If you are losing weight without any change in your diet or lifestyle, you may be experiencing one of the main symptoms of borderline diabetes.

* Slow healing of wounds. Abnormally elevated blood sugar levels can impair the immune system. If wounds or scratches heal slowly, you may be displaying a borderline diabetes symptom. Frequent infections of the urinary bladder, skin, or gums and vaginal yeast infections in women are also symptoms of borderline diabetes.

Diagnosing Borderline Diabetes

If you suspect that you have diabetes or borderline diabetes because of the symptoms you have, consult a doctor as soon as possible. A simple test for blood sugar levels will show if you have pre-diabetes,which is the proper medical term for borderline diabetes. Individuals with fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dL and 140-199 mg/dL for postprandial blood glucose may manifest borderline diabetes.

Borderline diabetes may be diabetes in its early stages and should be considered a cause for concern. Failure to obtain the right diagnosis and treatment can lead to damage to the nerves, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and vision.

It is estimated that over 79 million people in the USA suffer from pre-diabetes.

What to Do

If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, your doctor will probably advise you to make lifestyle changes to stop diabetes in its tracks. Diabetes is often caused by lack of exercise, being overweight, a diet high in carbohydrates, and a family history of diabetes. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help prevent pre-diabetes from getting worse.

People with borderline diabetes symptoms should not self-diagnose or self-medicate. Only a doctor can tell you if you do have pre-diabetes, and prescribe the right treatment for your condition.

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