Symptoms of Diabetes 2

Symptoms of Diabetes 2
By Nathalie Fiset

Diabetes mellitus, or diabetes 2 for short, is a medical ailment that is connected to the abnormal high levels of glucose or blood sugar. There are so many kinds of diabetes, but what exactly is the difference between the type I diabetes and type II diabetes? Also, what are their symptoms?

Glucose is the sugar that is contained in foods such as honey and fruits. It is also the starch that is converted through digestion. Glucose provides the energy which our body needs. Glucose is controlled by insulin. Insulin is the substance produced by the gland near the pancreas. It lowers the blood sugar level because it is the body's stimulant to create the glucose.

When the glucose in the bloodstream increases, the insulin released by the pancreas regulates the glucose level. But patients diagnosed with diabetes have high glucose levels that can no longer be normalized. This results to the high levels of glucose which often leads to glucosuria or glucose presence in urine.

How do you know that you already have diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes is insulin-dependent. It is also referred to as juvenile-onset diabetes primarily because the signs of the disease already show during childhood or the teenage years. In this type of diabetes, the pancreas does not release any insulin because the body has already diminished the cells that produce it. The diagnosed patient therefore relies heavily on insulin treatment.

But the most common type of diabetes mellitus is Type 2 diabetes. Before, it was called non-insulin diabetes. Now, it is referred to as adult onset diabetes because the signs show during adulthood. Patients with Type 2 diabetes continue to produce insulin but not enough for their bodies to properly use.

The first sign of type 2 diabetes is the blood sugar level increase slowly yet surely. This is so subtle that you wouldn’t realize something's wrong. In fact, a third of people diagnosed with diabetes had no idea that they already have the disease.

Other symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are:

- you're always thirsty

- frequent urination

- you're always getting hungry

- immediate weight loss

- you're often stressed

Other symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include:

- cuts, bruises and infections that do not heal quickly

- blurry vision

- numbness or tingling of the feet and hands

- bladder, gum and skin infections

- for women, vaginal yeast infections

Diabetes is a serious illness. In fact, it is the seventh terminal disease. If diabetes is not treated it can lead to serious health problems such as blindness, kidney failure, nerve damages in the hands and feet, narrowing of blood vessels or what is commonly known as atherosclerosis. If this happens, then there is more chance of a heart attack or stroke to occur.

Once diagnosed with diabetes, you have it forever; it is a chronic condition that lasts your whole life. Type 2 diabetes normally begins in adulthood. Generally, it hits adults over 40 years old. In most cases, it develops gradually. The ironic thing about it is that it may already be present for several years prior before it is actually detected.

The treatment of Type 2 diabetes is a healthy lifestyle. That means the right diet and regular exercising in order to shed off the excess weight. If these measures failed, oral medicines can also boost the insulin production in the body. A person with diabetes must control the levels of fats in his bloodstream because if not, they are more prone to have cardiovascular diseases.

Recently, a medicine called ACE or angiontensin converting enzyme has been discovered. This reduces the risk of cardiovascular complications in patients diagnosed with diabetes. It can also lessen the progress of eye diseases and kidney problems.

There may be no cure for diabetes mellitus at the moment but it can successfully be controlled. The benefits of pancreas and inslet cell transplants in people with diabetes are currently being observed whether this will result to the complete eradication of the disease. As soon as the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are evident, make an appointment with your physician.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist.

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