Diabetes Symptoms In Men: 4 Different Signs
What is diabetes? What are the types of diabetes? Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose), is too high (hyperglycemia). Glucose is what the body uses for energy, and the pancreas produces a hormone called insulin that helps convert the glucose from the food you eat into energy. When the body either does not produce enough insulin, does not produce any at all, or your body becomes resistant to the insulin, the glucose does not reach your cells to be used for energy. This results in the health condition termed diabetes. There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, because it usually is diagnosed during childhood. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body does not produce insulin because the body’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells from the pancreas called beta cells. Type 1 diabetes is treated by using insulin. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which cells cannot use blood sugar (glucose) efficiently for energy. This occurs when blood sugar levels get too high over time, and the cells become insensitive or resistant to insulin (termed insulin resistance). There are multiple medications used to treat type 2 diabetes. What warning signs and symptoms of diabetes are unique to men? Signs and symptoms of diabetes unique to men include: What warning signs and symptoms of diabetes are the same in men and women? There are diabetes warning signs and symptoms that both women and men have in common, for example: Excessive thirst and hunger Irritability Slow-healing wounds Skin infections Breath odor that is fruity, sweet, or an acetone odor Diabetes Diet: Healthy Meal Plans for Diabetes-Friendly Eating How does diabetes affect men differently than wom Continue reading >>
In Teens, Diabetes Takes A More Dangerous Course
THURSDAY, May 23, 2013 – A growing number of overweight teens are developing type 2 diabetes before they graduate from high school or learn how to drive, and new research paints an increasingly dismal picture for their future. The disease progresses more quickly in youth than adults, and children with type 2 diabetes rapidly develop signs of complications such as heart and kidney disease, according to a series of studies from the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) trial published today in a special issue of the journal Diabetes Care. These findings are especially concerning because the teens in the study had poor outcomes despite receiving optimal care and close monitoring from a team of diabetes experts. “Type 2 diabetes, when it occurs in youth, is a very, very, very rapidly progressing and serious disease — far worse than in the more typical 50-, 60-, or 70-year-old person who develops diabetes,” said Kenneth Copeland, MD, director of the children’s program at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma and the national co-chair of the TODAY study. “It is extremely difficult to treat with any of the modalities we have available to us right now, and it progresses relentlessly towards complications regardless of the form of treatment that we offer them.” Compounding the problem is the fact that only two type 2 diabetes medications are approved for use in children. Physicians have limited options to help young people keep their blood sugar under control and minimize the risk for health problems down the road. About 3,700 people under age 20 are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. each year. While that figure is small compared to the incidence in adults, the number of children living with the dise Continue reading >>
Warning Signs Of Type 1 Diabetes
Early diagnosis saves lives Recognizing the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes is critical. Although Type 1 develops gradually, as the body’s insulin production decreases, blood glucose levels can become dangerously high once insulin production is outpaced. Symptoms may develop rapidly and can be mistaken for other illnesses such as the flu, even by doctors. A misdiagnosis can have tragic consequences. Many people are familiar with Type 2 diabetes, but there is an under awareness for Type 1. Learn other forms of diabetes. Who gets Type 1? Anyone, at any age, can be diagnosed with Type 1 — it is neither preventable nor curable. While the cause is unknown, studies prove that genes together with an environmental trigger result in the immune system turning on itself and destroying the body’s beta cells. Early Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes weight loss (despite an increased appetite) unquenchable thirst blurry vision decreased energy level frequent urination a fruity smell to the breath in children with no previous issues, wetting the bed in babies and toddlers, heavy diapers More Advanced Symptom stomach pain fatigue or weakness nausea or vomiting rapid, heavy breathing loss of consciousness What to do If you recognize any of the symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. A simple in-office test for sugar in the urine is used for diagnosis. If that test is positive, then a drop of blood from the fingertip will confirm diabetes. Every day, thousands of adults and children around the world are diagnosed, but many go undetected. Early diagnosis cannot prevent Type 1, but it can head off potentially devastating, even fatal, health concerns. Download Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes poster HERE. Check out our Educational Posters (in English, Spanish and French)! Continue reading >>
Diagnosis: Type 2 Diabetes. Age: 24.
A few days after Christmas 2008, Mike Durbin of Fort Wayne, Ind., got an unwanted holiday surprise: a double diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure. His blood glucose was well above normal, and his heart was functioning at only 30 to 35 percent of its capacity. “That scared the hell out of me,” he says. His diabetes diagnosis, however, was not a complete shock. His grandmother has type 2 diabetes, and his great-grandparents had the condition as well. He also had a number of risk factors, including excess weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides. Yet he had one advantage — his age. He was only 24. It might seem surprising that someone so young could develop type 2 diabetes, but the disease is on the rise among the under-30 set. In fact, 5.7 percent of all new cases of diabetes occur in people between 18 and 29, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Another 3.5 percent of diagnoses happen before patients’ 35th birthdays. In Durbin’s case, he was sent to the doctor with a diabetes symptom that just wouldn’t quit — a yeast infection. “As I’ve learned, yeast infections are common among people living with the various types of diabetes,” Durbin says. “The infection led me to the doctor. Tests were done, and I was diagnosed with type 2. Other tests done at that time revealed that I had congestive heart failure as well. In hindsight, I realized I had a lot of the typical symptoms also — increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and headaches.” Creating a Diabetes Management Plan Durbin has made important lifestyle changes now that he’s living with type 2 diabetes. For starters, he checks his blood glucose at least four times a day: when he wakes up, befo Continue reading >>
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic (long-term) condition that occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or when your body has trouble using the insulin that it does make. About 1 in 400 young people have this condition. What is insulin? Why is it important? Insulin is a hormone made by a gland called the pancreas. The pancreas is located behind the stomach. Whenever you eat food, your body digests the food (breaks it down) into smaller parts: vitamins, minerals, sugar (called “glucose”), fat, and protein. Your body then uses glucose for energy. Glucose is the body’s major source of energy. Insulin is the hormone that helps glucose enter the cells of your body so it can be used as energy. If your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or if your body has difficulty using the insulin that it makes, the glucose from your food does not get changed into energy. Instead, the glucose stays in your blood, causing your blood glucose (also called “blood sugar”) to rise. Why is high blood sugar a problem? High blood sugar is a problem because it can cause serious damage to the body. Some of the most serious, long term problems are loss of vision, kidney problems, heart problems, damage to circulation and stroke. This kind of damage happens slowly over many years and can be delayed or prevented if you take good care of your diabetes. There are also short-term problems that come from high blood sugar. Some common short term-problems (caused from high blood sugar) are: Being thirsty Having to urinate (pee) more often Feeling irritable or exhausted Weight loss If your blood sugar gets too high due to not having enough insulin, you can experience a very serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Signs of ketoacidosis are: Rapid deep breathing Stomach pain or chest pain and/or Continue reading >>
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Diabetes In Children And Teens: Signs And Symptoms
With more than a third of diabetes cases in the United States occurring in people over the age of 65, diabetes is often referred to as an age-related condition. But around 208,000 children and adolescents are estimated to have diabetes, and this number is increasing. Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of the condition among children and adolescents. A 2009 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that type 1 diabetes prevalence stands at 1.93 in every 1,000 children and adolescents, while type 2 diabetes affects 0.24 in every 1,000. In 2014, Medical News Today reported that, based on a study published in JAMA, rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have increased significantly among American children and teenagers. The study found that incidence of type 1 diabetes in children aged up to 9 years increased by 21 percent between 2001 and 2009, while incidence of type 2 diabetes among youths aged 10-19 years rose by 30.5 percent. The researchers note: "The increases in prevalence reported herein are important because such youth with diabetes will enter adulthood with several years of disease duration, difficulty in treatment, an increased risk of early complications and increased frequency of diabetes during reproductive years, which may further increase diabetes in the next generation." Contents of this article: Here are some key points about diabetes in children. More detail and supporting information is in the main article. Type 1 and 2 diabetes are both increasing in the youth of America Often, the symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children develop over just a few weeks If type 1 diabetes is not spotted, the child can develop diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) What is diabetes in children? Type 1 diabetes in children, previously called juve Continue reading >>
9 Early Signs Of Diabetes You Must Know (#2 Is So Often Overlooked)
Diabetes is sneaky. The early symptoms can go unnoticed for months or years. In fact, 1 in 3 people with type 2 diabetes don’t know they have it. 1 in 3. Most actually do experience the early signs but don’t realise or understand what they are. Early detection and treatment can have a profound impact on your long-term health. A 3-year delay in diagnosis increases your relative risk of heart disease by 29% (1). Therefore by knowing what to look for, you can take control of the situation before it takes control of you. Diabetes Symptoms In Adults and Children Diabetes is the term given to blood sugar (glucose) levels that are too high for a sustained period of time. The signs or symptoms of high blood sugar are typically the same for both children and adults. Patients with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a sudden, short period of time. The condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting. Type 2 diabetes on the other hand progresses quite slowly. Symptoms tend to come on gradually, which is why they are often overlooked. Some don’t experience any early symptoms at all. The following early signs of diabetes are the most common: 1. Increased urination is arguably the most common A significant increase in how often you urinate (Polyuria) is a tell-tale symptom of high blood sugar. As a point of reference, the average person pees 4 to 7 times in a 24-hour period. Waking up during the night to go, even though you already went right before bed, is a common red flag. Why does this happen?: Your kidneys are working overtime to expel the excess sugar in your blood. Sugar that the kidneys are unable to absorb must be urinated out. Therefore high sugar levels leads to more urination. 2. Excessive thirst is one of the classic early signs of diabetes Drinking u Continue reading >>
How Diabetes Affects Women: Symptoms, Risks, And More
Diabetes describes a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar due to problems processing or producing insulin. Diabetes can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or lifestyle. Between 1971 and 2000, the death rate for men with diabetes fell, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine. This was a major coup, reflecting the many advances in diabetes treatment. However, according to the study, the death rate for women with diabetes showed no signs of improvement. Additionally, the difference in death rates between women who had diabetes and those who didn’t more than doubled. This study of diabetes in men and women presented several possible reasons for the gender differences. Reasons included: Women often receive less aggressive treatment for cardiovascular risk factors and conditions related to diabetes. The complications of diabetes in women are more difficult to diagnose. Women often have different kinds of heart disease than men. Hormones and inflammation act differently in women. The findings emphasize how diabetes affects women and men differently. Although the death rate was higher among women previously, there has been a shift in gender distribution of type two diabetes showing higher rates among men. The most current reported stats (in 2012) found that 13.4 million women and 15.5 million men have been diagnosed with diabetes in the United States alone. According to the global reports from the World Health Organization from 2014, there was an estimated 422 million adults living with diabetes. This is up from 108 million that was reported in 1980. If you’re a woman with diabetes, you’ll experience many of the same symptoms as a man. However, some symptoms are unique to women. Understanding both will help you identi Continue reading >>
Signs & Symptoms
Early Detection It is important to know the signs and symptoms of diabetes to detect the disease early and get it under control before any irreversible damage is done to the body. Recent studies indicate that early detection and treatment of diabetes can decrease the chance of developing complications from the disease. Diabetes has often been referred to as a "silent disease" for two reasons: 1) Many people with Type 2 diabetes walk around with symptoms for many years, but are not diagnosed until they develop a complication of the disease, such as blindness, kidney disease, or heart disease; 2) There are no specific physical manifestations in individuals with diabetes. Therefore, unless a person chooses to disclose their disease, it is possible that friends and even family members may be unaware of a person's diagnosis. Diabetes is detected through a blood glucose test, and experts recommend that Americans over age 35 with a family history of diabetes or other risk factors (such as being overweight) should consider asking their physicians for a blood test annually. The earlier diabetes is detected, the earlier complications may be treated and/or prevented. Common signs/symptoms (for Type 1, Type 2, Type 1.5, Pre-diabetes, Gestational Diabetes) Unexplained weight loss is one of the common type 1 diabetes symptoms in women. With this type of diabetes, the body is unable to use all the calories that the food provides, even though the person follows a healthy diet. Due to this, the person loses weight, even without trying to do so. Another symptom that is seen in both types of diabetes is the feeling the need to visit the washroom frequently. The body tries to get rid of the excess sugar through the urine and hence, one feels the need to urinate within very short periods of Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes In Adults
For years, distinguishing between the various types of diabetes was pretty straightforward: “Juvenile diabetes,” an autoimmune disease, was diagnosed primarily in children and teenagers when their own body’s immune system destroyed the insulin-producing (beta) cells in their pancreas. “Adult-onset diabetes” occurred in adults and was generally associated with insulin resistance and often with overweight. And “gestational diabetes” occurred in pregnant women and disappeared once the pregnancy was over. In the past 25 years, however, determining what type of diabetes a person has has become more of a challenge. In large part, that’s because more and more children and teenagers are now being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes — the type that occurred predominantly in adults in generations past. Most of these children and teens are overweight. At the same time, it’s becoming clearer that Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age and sometimes occurs in people who are overweight. In addition, another type of diabetes, called latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, or LADA, that shares some characteristics with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, has been recognized. Muddying the water further is the realization that diabetic ketoacidosis, an acute, life-threatening complication of diabetes that is caused by a lack of insulin, can occur in people with Type 2 diabetes — not just in people with Type 1, as was previously thought. And while gestational diabetes is still diagnosed only in pregnant women, it is sometimes discovered that what is thought to be gestational diabetes is really Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes that happens to start during pregnancy. The incidence of diabetes has increased so greatly around the world in the past 25 years that health organizations and med Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes In Children
Overview Type 1 diabetes in children is a condition in which your child's body no longer produces an important hormone (insulin). Your child needs insulin to survive, so you'll have to replace the missing insulin. Type 1 diabetes in children used to be known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children can be overwhelming at first. Suddenly you and your child — depending on his or her age — must learn how to give injections, count carbohydrates and monitor blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes in children requires consistent care. But advances in blood sugar monitoring and insulin delivery have improved the daily management of the condition. Symptoms The signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children usually develop quickly, over a period of weeks. These signs and symptoms include: Increased thirst and frequent urination. Excess sugar building up in your child's bloodstream pulls fluid from tissues. As a result your child might be thirsty — and drink and urinate more than usual. A young, toilet-trained child might suddenly experience bed-wetting. Extreme hunger. Without enough insulin to move sugar into your child's cells, your child's muscles and organs lack energy. This triggers intense hunger. Weight loss. Despite eating more than usual to relieve hunger, your child may lose weight — sometimes rapidly. Without the energy sugar supplies, muscle tissues and fat stores simply shrink. Unexplained weight loss is often the first sign of type 1 diabetes to be noticed in children. Fatigue. Lack of sugar in your child's cells might make him or her tired and lethargic. Irritability or behavior changes. In addition to mood problems, your child might suddenly have a decline in performance at school. Fruity-smelling breath. Bu Continue reading >>
Diabetes Type 1
Type 1 diabetes tends to start when people are under 25, although it can be diagnosed later in life. With Type 1 diabetes (also called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) the body's immune system destroys, or attempts to destroy, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that allows glucose to enter the cells of the body to provide fuel. When glucose can't enter the cells, it builds up in the blood and the body's cells literally starve to death. Everyone with Type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections and regularly monitor their blood glucose levels. The cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown but it is thought to be an autoimmune disease, where the body's immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Not all diabetes in children and teenagers is the kind called Type 1. Type 2 diabetes is being seen increasingly in young people. Where Type 1 diabetes always requires insulin, Type 2 can require insulin but often it can be treated with other medicines such as tablets. This section deals only with young people who have Type 1 diabetes. We have talked to a range of young people who've lived with Type 1 diabetes from those who were very young when they were first diagnosed to those who were diagnosed when they were teenagers. We have also talked to some young people only recently diagnosed. In this section young people talk about the signs and symptoms that prompted them to seek medical help. Signs of diabetes Most people remembered that the first symptoms of diabetes had crept up on them over weeks or even months- most had felt thirsty all the time and said that they started to drink more and more and found that they were unable to quench their thirst. Lots of people described realising something must be wrong wi Continue reading >>
Early Symptoms Of Diabetes
What are the symptoms of diabetes? Although the signs of diabetes can begin to show early, sometimes it takes a person a while to recognize the symptoms. This often makes it seem like signs and symptoms of diabetes appear suddenly. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your body, rather than simply brushing them off. To that end, here are some type 1 and type 2 diabetes symptoms that you may want to watch out for: If you’re experiencing frequent urination your body might be telling you that your kidneys are trying to expel excess sugar in your blood. The resulting dehydration may then cause extreme thirst. Along the same lines, the lack of available fluids may also give you dry mouth and itchy skin. If you experience increased hunger or unexpected weight loss it could be because your body isn’t able to get adequate energy from the food you eat. High blood sugar levels can affect blood flow and cause nerve damage, which makes healing difficult. So having slow-healing cuts/sores is also a potential sign of diabetes. Yeast infections may occur in men and women who have diabetes as a result of yeast feeding on glucose. Other signs of diabetes Pay attention if you find yourself feeling drowsy or lethargic; pain or numbness in your extremities; vision changes; fruity or sweet-smelling breath which is one of the symptoms of high ketones; and experiencing nausea or vomiting—as these are additional signs that something is not right. If there’s any question, see your doctor immediately to ensure that your blood sugar levels are safe and rule out diabetes. So what are the low blood sugar symptoms you should look out for? It’s important to realize that the signs of… Polyuria occurs when your body urinates more frequently—and often in larger amounts—than Continue reading >>
Early Symptoms Of Diabetes
How can you tell if you have diabetes? Most early symptoms are from higher-than-normal levels of glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood. The warning signs can be so mild that you don't notice them. That's especially true of type 2 diabetes. Some people don't find out they have it until they get problems from long-term damage caused by the disease. With type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually happen quickly, in a matter of days or a few weeks. They're much more severe, too. Both types of diabetes have some of the same telltale warning signs. Hunger and fatigue. Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But your cells need insulin to bring the glucose in. If your body doesn't make enough or any insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body makes, the glucose can't get into them and you have no energy. This can make you more hungry and tired than usual. Peeing more often and being thirstier. The average person usually has to pee between four and seven times in 24 hours, but people with diabetes may go a lot more. Why? Normally your body reabsorbs glucose as it passes through your kidneys. But when diabetes pushes your blood sugar up, your kidneys may not be able to bring it all back in. This causes the body to make more urine, and that takes fluids. You'll have to go more often. You might pee out more, too. Because you're peeing so much, you can get very thirsty. When you drink more, you'll also pee more. Dry mouth and itchy skin. Because your body is using fluids to make pee, there's less moisture for other things. You could get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can make you itchy. Blurred vision. Changing fluid levels in your body could make the lenses in your eyes swell up. They change shape and lose their a Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes In Women: Young, Slim, And Diabetic
Stephanie Yi, 29, had a body most women would kill for. She never had to work hard to maintain her long-limbed, flat-bellied frame—weekend hikes near her northern California home and lots of spinach salads did the trick. She could easily afford to indulge her sweet tooth with the occasional buttery, sugary snack. At 5'7" and 120 pounds, she had, she figured, hit the good-genes jackpot. But everything changed two years ago, when a crippling fatigue left her sidelined from college classes. Listless, she dragged herself to a doctor, who suspected a thyroid imbalance. A blood test and a few days later, she received the alarming results: Her thyroid was fine; her blood sugar levels were not. She was prediabetic and on the cusp of developing type 2. Stephanie was stunned. Of course, she'd heard diabetes was a health crisis. (At last count, 26 million Americans had the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) But weren't type 2 diabetics fat, sedentary, and on junk-food-and-soda diets? Stephanie hadn't been to a drive-through in ages; she didn't touch meat. Yet, somehow, she'd gotten an illness most slim women dodge. A Growing Threat The CDC estimates that one in nine adults has diabetes and, if current trends continue, one in three will be diabetic by the year 2050. For decades, typical type 2 patients were close to what Stephanie pictured: heavy and inactive. They were also older, often receiving a diagnosis in middle age or beyond. But while such type 2 cases continue to skyrocket, there has been a disturbing increase in a much younger set. The number of diabetes-related hospitalizations among people in their thirties has doubled in the past decade, with women 1.3 times more likely to be admitted than men. Perhaps even more troubling is the e Continue reading >>
