Polyphagia - Increased Appetite
Tweet Polyphagia is the medical term used to describe excessive hunger or increased appetite and is one of the 3 main signs of diabetes. An increase in hunger is usually a response to normal things such as intensive exercise or other strenuous activity, but polyphagia can also be the result of more severe issues such as depression or stress. Also known as hyperphagia, it is one of the three main symptoms of diabetes, along with: Polydipsia (increased thirst) and Polyuria (frequent, excessive urination) Causes of polyphagia Polyphagia can be caused by: Diabetes mellitus Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) Anxiety Stress Bulimia Binge eating disorder Hyperthyroidism (raised level of thyroid hormone) Premenstrual syndrome Certain prescription drugs such as corticosteroids Some psychiatric conditions Rare medical conditions such as Kleine-Levin Syndrome and Prader-Willi Syndrome Hunger and hyperglycemia In uncontrolled diabetes where blood glucose levels remain abnormally high (hyperglycemia), glucose from the blood cannot enter the cells - due to either a lack of insulin or insulin resistance - so the body can’t convert the food you eat into energy. This lack of energy causes an increase in hunger. Simply eating will not get rid of the hungry feeling of polyphagia in people with uncontrolled diabetes, as this will just add to the already high blood glucose levels. The best way to lower blood glucose levels is to exercise as this can help to stimulate insulin production and reduce blood sugar levels. However, if the hunger persists, you may need to consult your doctor or diabetes health care team. Hunger and hypoglycemia Increased appetite can also be caused by abnormally low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). If blood glucose readings Continue reading >>
What Happens If Diabetes Goes Untreated?
Diabetes is on the rise. The number of people affected in the U.S. has tripled since 1980, with nearly 26 million Americans affected in 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes is a metabolic disease that can be managed with a combination of lifestyle changes, diet and medications. Insulin injections are necessary to treat type 1 diabetes and advanced cases of type 2 diabetes. Untreated diabetes can result in life-threatening metabolic crises. Even if emergency situations are avoided, poorly controlled diabetes damages blood vessels and nerves throughout the body, with devastating consequences over time. Video of the Day Untreated diabetes can be fatal. One dangerous short-term complication is diabetic ketoacidosis, a rapidly progressing condition. Low insulin levels cause sugar to build up in the blood. The body breaks down fat for fuel, resulting in a buildup of byproducts called ketones and lowering the blood pH. Classic signs and symptoms of DKA are breathing that sounds like sighs, confusion, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, dehydration and a fruity smell on the breath. Trauma, stress and infections raise the risk for DKA. Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state is another dangerous complication of untreated diabetes. Prominent signs and symptoms include weakness, leg cramps, visual problems, low-grade fever, abdominal bloating and dehydration. HHS is most common in older adults with type 2 diabetes. The condition develops with profoundly high blood sugar levels. Both DKA and HHS are life-threatening medical emergencies. Untreated or poorly controlled diabetes can damage your eyes. Blood vessel leakage and an overgrowth of new vessels can damage the vision-perceiving portion of the eye. These changes -- known as diabetic retinopathy -- Continue reading >>
Problems That People With Diabetes Shouldn’t Ignore
People with diabetes learn to manage their condition with a healthy diet, regular exercise and medication. Success is measured by how well they can control their blood sugar. However, many factors can affect blood sugar besides diet and activity. Illness, stress, social drinking and women’s menstrual cycles can all influence blood sugar levels and upset your normal routine. If you have diabetes, you may know these factors and make adjustments accordingly. However, some symptoms are always reasons to seek medical advice, whether it’s a call to your GP or make a trip to accident and emergency. Here are the diabetes symptoms you should never ignore. Frequent urination, extreme thirst or hunger, or blurry vision These are three common warning signs of uncontrolled blood sugar. With any of these symptoms, you should test your blood sugar and seek medical advice. Depending on how high your blood sugar is, medication may fix the problem or you may have to seek medical care to replace fluids and electrolytes and to get blood sugar back under control. If left unchecked, high blood sugar can lead to serious, life-threatening conditions. Type 1 diabetes patients can develop diabetic ketoacidosis, which happens when the body starts breaking down fats instead of sugars and a dangerous build-up of ketones (by-products of fat metabolism) occurs. In type 2 diabetes, hyperosmolar coma can occur, which leads to dehydration and altered consciousness and which could be fatal if untreated. Acting drunk Strange behaviour can also indicate low blood sugar. This can happen when a person’s medication works too well and overshoots the target. Drinking some juice or eating a snack usually is enough to raise sugar levels and normalise behaviour. Often, however, the person is not in the state Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Hearing Loss
A Surprising Complication Ed Weinsberg wasn’t surprised when he developed burning sensations in his feet in 2006. His health care provider had told him he might experience this sign of peripheral neuropathy, a side effect of his recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Medication helped reduce the sensations. But a few years ago, Ed, 62, a former rabbi and author living in Sarasota, Florida, began to experience frustrating problems with his hearing. “Every sentence began with, ‘What did you say?’ ” he says. “My ear, nose, and throat doctor wasn’t sure what was behind it.” By then Ed had already lost 50 percent of his hearing in his left ear. “But I suspected there might be a connection with my diabetes. I know it reduces blood flow to other parts of the body.” Ed was onto something. Research shows that people with uncontrolled type 1 or type 2 diabetes are twice as likely as others to experience hearing loss. In a large study of people ages 20–69, researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found a strong association between diabetes and hearing problems, emerging as early as age 30. A recent study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit reached much the same conclusion. Researchers found that in women younger than 60, hearing was worse among those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes compared to women without diabetes, according to study coauthor Kathleen Yaremchuk, M.D., chair of otolaryngology at the hospital. And women ages 60–75 with poorly controlled diabetes had significantly worse hearing than those whose diabetes was considered well-controlled. “When you think about complications of diabetes, this is not what you think about,” says Joanne Rinker, RD, CDE, with the North Carolina Diabetes Prevention and Cont Continue reading >>
Diabetes Mellitus
"Diabetes" redirects here. For other uses, see Diabetes (disambiguation). Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period.[7] Symptoms of high blood sugar include frequent urination, increased thirst, and increased hunger.[2] If left untreated, diabetes can cause many complications.[2] Acute complications can include diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, or death.[3] Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, foot ulcers, and damage to the eyes.[2] Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the cells of the body not responding properly to the insulin produced.[8] There are three main types of diabetes mellitus:[2] Type 1 DM results from the pancreas's failure to produce enough insulin.[2] This form was previously referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes".[2] The cause is unknown.[2] Type 2 DM begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to respond to insulin properly.[2] As the disease progresses a lack of insulin may also develop.[9] This form was previously referred to as "non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (NIDDM) or "adult-onset diabetes".[2] The most common cause is excessive body weight and insufficient exercise.[2] Gestational diabetes is the third main form, and occurs when pregnant women without a previous history of diabetes develop high blood sugar levels.[2] Prevention and treatment involve maintaining a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, a normal body weight, and avoiding use of tobacco.[2] Control of blood pressure and maintaining proper foot care are important for people with t Continue reading >>
Focal Neurological Symptoms Associated With Uncontrolled Diabetes
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Diabetes
Key facts The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (1). The global prevalence of diabetes* among adults over 18 years of age has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014 (1). Diabetes prevalence has been rising more rapidly in middle- and low-income countries. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. In 2015, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Another 2.2 million deaths were attributable to high blood glucose in 2012**. Almost half of all deaths attributable to high blood glucose occur before the age of 70 years. WHO projects that diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death in 2030 (1). Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication and regular screening and treatment for complications. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels. In 2014, 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes. In 2015, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6 million deaths and in 2012 high blood glucose was the cause of another 2.2 million deaths. Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent, juvenile or childhood-onset) is charact Continue reading >>
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Ten Signs Of Uncontrolled Diabetes
Uncontrolled diabetes can be fatal. It can also lower quality of life. In 2010, diabetes and its complications were responsible for 12 percent of deaths worldwide. Many of these deaths were avoidable. Although diabetes is a chronic condition, it can be managed with lifestyle changes and the right medication. People who do not manage the condition well may develop uncontrolled diabetes, which causes dangerously high blood glucose. This can trigger a cascade of symptoms, ranging from mood changes to organ damage. People with type 1 diabetes, a disease that causes the body to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, are diagnosed, typically, in childhood. However, as many as a third of adults with the most common type 2 diabetes variant of the disorder, do not know they have it. Without taking measures to treat it, these people can develop uncontrolled diabetes. The following 10 symptoms are signs of uncontrolled diabetes. Anyone experiencing them should consult a doctor promptly. Contents of this article: High blood glucose readings High blood glucose readings are the most obvious symptom of uncontrolled diabetes. As diabetes raises blood sugar levels, many people with diabetes think it is normal to have high blood glucose. Normally, however, diabetes medication and lifestyle changes should bring blood glucose within target ranges. If blood glucose is still uncontrolled, or if it is steadily rising, it may be time for an individual to review their management plan. Frequent infections Diabetes can harm the immune system, making people more prone to infections. A person with diabetes who suddenly gets more infections, or who takes longer to heal from an infection they have had before, should see a doctor. Some of the most common infections associated with diabetes in Continue reading >>
4 Common Dangers Of Uncontrolled Diabetes
Diabetes should not be taken lightly. It is, in fact, extremely dangerous. This might seem like a bold statement, but uncontrolled diabetes can cause serious problems. It can range from something as small as constantly feeling thirsty, all the way to kidney failure. Eye Problems Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness among adults. It can cause a number of eye problems, some of which can lead to blindness if not properly taken care of. The eye disorders include: Glaucoma Cataracts Diabetic retinopathy Kidney Problems Diabetes is the main cause of kidney failure in adults. Almost 45% of new cases are due to diabetes. This is because the kidneys cannot process all the excess sugar in the blood during diabetes. Nerve Problems Over time, high blood sugar levels can harm the nerves. This can lead to pain or numbness in the feet. About 70% of people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage. Diabetes-related nerve damage can also cause pain in the legs, arms, and hands. It can lead to problems with digestion, going to the bathroom, or having sex. Teeth Problems People with diabetes are at high risk for gum disease. Keeping your diabetes under control, seeing your dentist regularly, and taking good daily care of your teeth can prevent gum disease and tooth loss. What are the symptoms of diabetes problems? Symptoms vary depending on the diabetes complication that you have. You may have: Vision problems. Vision loss or pain in your eye is common if you have diabetic eye disease. No visual symptoms if you have early diabetes-related kidney disease. Swelling of the legs and feet occur in more advanced stages of kidney failure. Tingling, numbness, burning or shooting or stabbing pain in the limbs when you have nerve problems. Brittle, sensitive, or discoloured teeth and g Continue reading >>
The Effects Of Diabetes On Your Body
When you hear the word “diabetes,” your first thought is likely about high blood sugar. Blood sugar is an often-underestimated component of your health. When it’s out of whack over a long period of time, it could develop into diabetes. Diabetes affects your body’s ability to produce or use insulin, a hormone that allows your body to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. Here’s what symptoms may occur to your body when diabetes takes effect. Diabetes can be effectively managed when caught early. However, when left untreated, it can lead to potential complications that include heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and nerve damage. Normally after you eat or drink, your body will break down sugars from your food and use them for energy in your cells. To accomplish this, your pancreas needs to produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin is what facilitates the process of pulling sugar from the blood and putting it in the cells for use, or energy. If you have diabetes, your pancreas either produces too little insulin or none at all. The insulin can’t be used effectively. This allows blood glucose levels to rise while the rest of your cells are deprived of much-needed energy. This can lead to a wide variety of problems affecting nearly every major body system. The effects of diabetes on your body also depends on the type you have. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1, also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an immune system disorder. Your own immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, destroying your body’s ability to make insulin. With type 1 diabetes, you must take insulin to live. Most people are diagnosed as a child or young adult. Type 2 is related to insulin resistance. It used to occur i Continue reading >>
Diabetes & High Blood Sugar
Uncontrolled high blood sugar or diabetes can affect nearly every organ in your body, including your eyes, kidneys, nerves, the heart and blood vessels. In fact, people with diabetes are two times more likely to have heart disease or strokes when compared to people who do not have diabetes. Many people with diabetes will not notice any symptoms of heart or vascular disease until they experience a heart attack or stroke. This is why it is so important to work with your physician to keep your blood sugar under control and regularly see a cardiologists to monitor your heart health. What is blood sugar? Blood sugar, the concentration of glucose in the blood, will change based on what you ate in the past several hours as well as on your body’s efficiency at processing that food. How is blood sugar measured, and what is normal? Blood sugar is most commonly measured with a simple finger prick and a glucose monitor. When the sample is taken — following an overnight fast, before a meal or two hours after a meal — will determine the ideal ranges for blood sugar levels. For a fasting blood sugar: The ideal result is under 100 mg/dL. A reading between 100 and 125 mg/dL indicates pre-diabetes A reading of 126 mg/dL or greater is an indicator of diabetes. What are the symptoms of high blood sugar? Most people with mild to moderate elevation of blood sugar have no symptoms. It’s once you have significantly elevated blood sugar that you start to notice symptoms. The classic symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes would be: Increased urination (both frequency and volume) Increased thirst Increased appetite If your blood sugar gets very high, you can experience: Dehydration Acute illness Nausea and vomiting How can I control my blood sugar? The first step is to know what your blood sug Continue reading >>
Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Practice Essentials Type 1 diabetes is a chronic illness characterized by the body’s inability to produce insulin due to the autoimmune destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas. Most pediatric patients with diabetes have type 1 and a lifetime dependence on exogenous insulin. [1] The image below depicts the effects of insulin deficiency. Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children include the following: See Clinical Presentation for more detail. Diagnosis Blood glucose Blood glucose tests using capillary blood samples, reagent sticks, and blood glucose meters are the usual methods for monitoring day-to-day diabetes control. Diagnostic criteria by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) include the following [2] : Glycated hemoglobin Measurement of HbA1c levels is the best method for medium-term to long-term diabetic control monitoring. An international expert committee composed of appointed representatives of the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and others recommended HbA1c assay for diagnosing diabetes mellitus. [3] See Workup for more detail. Management Glycemic control The ADA recommends using patient age as one consideration in the establishment of glycemic goals, with different targets for preprandial, bedtime/overnight, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in patients aged 0-6, 6-12, and 13-19 years. [4] Benefits of tight glycemic control include not only continued reductions in the rates of microvascular complications but also significant differences in cardiovascular events and overall mortality. Insulin therapy All children with type 1 diabetes mellitus require insulin therapy. Most require 2 or more injections of insulin daily, with doses adjusted on the basis of self-monitoring of b Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Fatigue: Everything You Need To Know
What exactly is fatigue? Is it just being tired after working a long week or not getting enough sleep? The answer is no. Fatigue is excessive tiredness that makes carrying out simple tasks difficult and interferes with one or more life functions. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Well imagine having a chronic illness along with the fatigue. Diabetes and fatigue have a strong relationship, and it can make a person’s life very difficult. The following article will discuss the relationship, along with ways to beat and reduce the risk of living with diabetes and fatigue. What is diabetes fatigue? As it was mentioned above, diabetes fatigue is an extreme tiredness that individuals with diabetes can experience. It is a tiredness that disrupts a person’s life and makes it difficult to function. It is very common, and studies have shown that 85% of those with diabetes experience fatigue. Some signs of fatigue include: Dizziness Irritability Headache Inability to concentrate Problems remembering things Blurry vision Slowed reflexes and muscle weakness Is feeling fatigue a sign/symptom of diabetes? Feeling fatigued is definitely a symptom of diabetes. However, fatigue can also be a sign or symptom of many other diseases, so it is important that you talk to your doctor about any problems that you are having. I advise reading the following: Reactive hypoglycemia, a term used to define the crash that a person gets after eating a lot of sugar and carbs, can be an early sign of diabetes. In order for the body to use the sugars and carbs that are consumed for fuel, each molecule must be paired with insulin to get into the cell. If there isn’t enough insulin available, then the sugar molecules stay in the bloodstream and cause high blood sugar. What happens is that over time, eating Continue reading >>
Diabetes Mellitus Signs And Symptoms
There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes: About 5 to 10 percent of those with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. It's an autoimmune disease, meaning the body's own immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Patients with type 1 diabetes have very little or no insulin, and must take insulin everyday. Although the condition can appear at any age, typically it's diagnosed in children and young adults, which is why it was previously called juvenile diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes: Accounting for 90 to 95 percent of those with diabetes, type 2 is the most common form. Usually, it's diagnosed in adults over age 40 and 80 percent of those with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Because of the increase in obesity, type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed at younger ages, including in children. Initially in type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced, but the insulin doesn't function properly, leading to a condition called insulin resistance. Eventually, most people with type 2 diabetes suffer from decreased insulin production. Gestational Diabetes: Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. It occurs more often in African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and people with a family history of diabetes. Typically, it disappears after delivery, although the condition is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes later in life. If you think that you have diabetes, visit your doctor immediately for a definite diagnosis. Common symptoms include the following: Frequent urination Excessive thirst Unexplained weight loss Extreme hunger Sudden vision changes Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet Feeling very tired much of the time Very dry skin Sores that are slow to heal More infections than usual Some people may experience o Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes (also called diabetes mellitus type 2) is the most common form of diabetes. Insulin is not required for survival in type 2 diabetes. That is why they used to call it non-insulin dependent diabetes. Insulin resistance is the main problem in type 2 diabetes. It means that your body can’t use insulin effectively. You still make insulin but it is less effective. So, you need more insulin to do the same job. Without effective use of insulin, you blood sugar levels go up. That is what happens in type 2 diabetes. (They don’t call it non-insulin dependent diabetes anymore to avoid the perception that insulin has nothing to with type 2 diabetes.) Many type 2 diabetes patients need insulin to effectively treat high blood sugars because their bodies do not make enough insulin to overcome the insulin resistance. Type 2 Diabetes symptoms Type 2 diabetes symptoms develop very slowly. You may already have diabetes, but may not even have the first signs of diabetes for many years. Here is the list of 10 classic diabetes symptoms: Frequent urination Excessive hunger Excessive thirst (dry mouth) Unusual weight loss Extreme fatigue and irritability Frequent infections Blurred vision Cuts/bruises are slow to heal Tingling numbness in the hands or feet Recurring skin, gum or bladder infection If someone asks you, “What are the symptoms of diabetes?”, this list makes it easy to answer the question. However, the list of 10 diabetes symptoms does not help people figure out if they have diabetes. Many patients with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms for many years. When they finally have classic diabetes symptoms, they already have complications of diabetes. Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes symptoms Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes leads to many complicati Continue reading >>
