What are type 2 diabetes symptoms and how do you get diagnosed? What's the difference between type 1 and
type 2 diabetes symptoms?
Most of the time the symptoms of diabetes type 1 and 2 are very
similar. The differences depend on how advanced type 2 diabetes is, whether the pancreas is still producing
insulin or has stopped doing so.
Apart from these type 2 diabetes symptoms, in order to diagnose the condition, the doctor will have to do
some blood tests.
If...
...you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
In some cases, they may want to perform a glucose tolerance test, in which you drink a syrup
containing 75 g. of glucose. If your blood glucose is 200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l) or higher 2 hours later, your
doctor will diagnose diabetes.
Normal fasting glucose is less than 100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/l).
After a 2-hour glucose tolerance test, the value should be less than 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/l).
If
your values are above the normal limit but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes, your doctor will
diagnose you with pre-diabetes, which normally develops into diabetes.
People with diabetes are subject to episodes of both high and low blood sugar.
The symptoms of
hyperglycemia (too much glucose in the blood) often include: fatigue, a constant need to urinate,
extreme thirst, constantly feeling hungry, loss of weight ad problems with eyesight.
Episodes of
hypoglycemia (less than normal amounts of glucose in the blood), which can strike suddenly, can be
caused by a missed meal, too much exercise, or a reaction to too much insulin (of course, if you are on
insulin).
The initial signs of hypoglycemia are hunger, dizziness, sweating, confusion,
palpitations, and numbness or tingling of the lips.
If not treated, the individual may go on to
experience double vision, trembling and disorientation, may act strangely and may eventually lapse into a
coma. Needless to point out that this is a very serious condition.
Type 2 diabetes can sneak up on you. You may not have diabetes now, but you could be on the verge of developing it. How do you know?
As we've seen, being overweight can be a formidable threat. But even if you are normal weight, you may have insulin resistance, or insulin sensitivity as it is called.
What does it mean? It means that your insulin is no longer able to perform as it should.
Insulin resistance is a hallmark sign of Type 2 diabetes; it's also common in obesity. It usually exists in people who are diagnosed with diabetes a decade or so later.
This is how it happens. Your cells become sluggish and inefficient in responding to insulin's instructions to take up glucose.
Your pancreas, then, has to churn out more insulin constantly to keep blood sugar normal. Tired and overworked, the pancreas may finally become exhausted and unable to produce enough insulin. And this is when you usually develop clear type 2 diabetes symptoms.
But insulin resistance comes with its own set of signs and symptoms:
Even if you may have inherited a predisposition to insulin
resistance, at any point during this process you can revert the symptoms
by dramatically changing your diet, as the next few pages will discuss.
The major danger with diabetes is not the disease itself, but the complications that can arise if insulin
levels are not maintained at a constant level.
Untreated diabetes can lead to diabetic
ketoacidosis (DKA). This condition occurs when the body is so low in insulin that it starts using
stored fat and proteins as fuel.
When the fat and proteins break down they start to produce
substances known as ketones as a by-product - some people try to achieve the same result with low-carb
high-protein diets in an effort to reduce weight.
In large quantities, ketones can cause the body
to become excessively acidic. Ketoacidosis is most often seen in people with type 1 diabetes.
Symptoms include nausea, difficulty breathing, sweet breath and confusion that can progress to
coma.
Another complication of untreated diabetes is hyperosmolar syndrome. This condition is a combination
of very high blood sugar levels (but without the presence of ketones) and dehydration.
It's more
common in older people with type 2 diabetes who are taking steroid medications. The condition may also be
prompted by stress from a major illness.
With hyperosmolar syndrome, blood sugar levels are so
high that the blood thickens. Symptoms include confusion, tiredness and coma.
Hyperosmolar
syndrome can sometimes be the first indication of diabetes in older adults.
It's important
to point out that both DKA and hyperosmolar syndrome are
very serious conditions that require the immediate attention of a
physician.
So if you suspect to
have type 2 diabetes symptoms you
need to have it immediately checked out. Do not ignore them and don't
wait until the situation becomes desperate.
Don't be discouraged if you feel you have type 2 diabetes symptoms.
You can be confident that if you work along with your doctor and
implement the information you find on these pages, you have a very
good chance of keeping your type 2 diabetes symptoms under control.
And
sometimes, if you make the right changes, you can even reverse the
problem! The road to high blood sugar is a two-way street. When you
change your diet and make other lifestyle changes, a rising glucose
level can fall. If you are on medications, you can stop taking them and
if you are on insulin you may be able to reduce the amount you need to
inject.
Sometimes that change can be so dramatic that no doctor
looking at you afterward would ever guess that you once had been
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
So take control of your life now!
Click on NEXT to read about the Diet for Type 2 Diabetes of go back to the Treatment of Diabetes main page to select another article.
Watch this video to learn about a Simple 3-Step Approach To Totally
Reverse Type 2 Diabetics |
Return to the Treatment of Diabetes main
page
Go to Foods' Healing Power Homepage from Type 2 Diabetes
Symptoms
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