Sign and symptoms of diabetes

 

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia) and due to an altered amount or function of insulin. Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter cells and its consequent use as an energy source. When this mechanism is altered, glucose accumulates in the bloodstream.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes often develops suddenly and can cause the following symptoms depending on the individual:

• Abnormal thirst and dry mouth
• Frequent urination (urine)
• Nocturnal incontinence
• Lack of energy and extreme fatigue
• constant hunger
• Sudden weight loss
• Blurred vision

Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed by high blood sugar, sometimes in the presence of some of these symptoms.

Type 2 diabetes

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

• Very frequent urination (urine)
• excessive thirst
• extreme hunger
• Blurred vision
• Lack of energy and extreme fatigue
• Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• Slow healing of recurrent wounds and infections

Many people with type 2 diabetes continue to be unaware of their condition for a long time because the symptoms are usually not as obvious as those of type 1 diabetes and can take several years to be interpreted.

3 major symptoms of diabetes? 

Chronic complications of diabetes

If diabetes is not treated well, various vascular complications may occur, worsening the quality of life, and increasing mortality.

Gum (periodontal disease) : swollen and bleeding, bad breath
Stroke, coronary artery disease : paralysis, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath
Diabetic retinopathy : decreased vision, loss of vision.

Diabetic autonomic neuropathy

- heart, blood vessels : Orthostatic hypotension
- Stomach and intestines : indigestion, vomiting/nausea, constipation, diarrhea
- genitourinary system : sexual dysfunction, urination disorder
Peripheral vascular disease : lower extremity pain, tingling or tingling that worsens during exercise
Diabetic nephropathy : foamy urine , Edema
Diabetic foot lesion : ulcer, necrosis
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy : tingling or numbness, loss of sensation, pain.

Diagnostic criteria for diabetes

Diabetes is diagnosed if one or more of the following criteria is met.

• glycated hemoglobin 6.5% or higher
• fasting blood sugar 126 mg/dL or higher
• 75 g blood sugar 200 mg/dL or higher 2 hours after oral glucose tolerance test
• drinking a lot of water, increased urine output, and feeling of hunger If you eat a lot of food and have symptoms such as weight loss, and your blood sugar measured at any time is 200 mg/dL or higher.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diagnosis of diabetes can be made using several methods. ^{Here are 3} common blood tests to diagnose diabetes. Your doctor may only need one test to diagnose your diabetes. Talk to him for more information.

Hemoglobin A1C test (HbA1C): measurement of your blood sugar average over the past 3 months. With this test, it is not necessary to fast or take a special drink.

Fasting Plasma Glucose Test: Checks what are known as fasting blood glucose levels. For this test, you are not allowed to eat or drink anything except water for 8 hours before the test, usually overnight. The test is usually scheduled early in the day, before breakfast.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: Tests how your body reacts to a spike in glucose. For this test, you need to drink a special sweet drink. Your blood sugar is tested before and after taking the drink.

Random Plasma Glucose Test: Check your blood sugar at a specific time, any time of the day, without prior preparation for the test. This test is usually done if obvious symptoms of diabetes present themselves, such as sudden unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue and/or other signs of diabetes.

Prevention 

Lifestyle-improving interventions, including moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity lasting 20-30 minutes per day or 150 minutes per week and 10% body weight loss, reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 60%. . Furthermore, the quality, rather than the total quantity of nutrients, must be controlled.

A diet rich in saturated fatty acids (animal fats) increases the risk of developing diabetes, while the partial replacement of the latter with unsaturated fatty acids reduces it (the so-called omega 3).

Screening , aimed at identifying the disease even in asymptomatic subjects , is generally recommended for the entire population, since it is a simple blood test (fasting blood sugar). However, there are subjects more at risk, who must keep the blood sugar level under constant control.

Those who:

• have found a fasting blood glucose value between 100 and 126 mg / dl (altered fasting blood glucose),
• have a BMI (body mass index, i.e. ratio of weight in kilos/height in m2) with a value >25 kg/m2,
• (indicative of body overweight),
• have a first-degree family history of type 2 diabetes.