Knowing the symptoms of diabetes can save your life. As you must know, diabetes is considered a chronic disease that can worsen over time if left uncontrolled.

Unfortunately, many people don’t know they have diabetes until the disease has already progressed. This is because the symptoms of diabetes can easily be mistaken for something else, or they may appear as harmless you wouldn’t really suspect they already indicate something serious.

It therefore always helps to understand the symptoms of diabetes so you can consult a diabetologist or an endocrinologist to assess your case and recommend the essential diabetes treatment. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will get treatment, the lesser the chance of having diabetic complications.

So what exactly are these symptoms of diabetes that you have to watch out for

Frequency of urination - this is actually one of the classic symptoms of diabetes. It happens because with diabetes, there is an inability to break down glucose in the blood, thus there is no other way for the excess glucose to go to but out of the body through urination.

Excessive thirst and dehydration - because of the frequency of urination, excessive thirst and sometimes even dehydration normally follow.

Over-fatigue - this usually occurs because the glucose that is supposed to provide nutrition to the cells does not go to the cells but pools in blood and eventually out of the body, thereby starving the cells, the reason why diabetics often experience over-fatigue

Weight loss - this is expected since glucose is not able to provide the cells with the essential nutrients, but is excreted out of the body.

Other signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

Blurred vision

Dry mouth

Dry or itchy skin

The moment you experience these symptoms of diabetes, do not waste time but see your doctor at once. He may recommend that you undergo certain laboratory tests to establish the presence of diabetes.

The Diabetes Treatment

As of now, diabetes has no cure. Considered a chronic disease, it can only be controlled so as to prevent the likelihood of complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and so on. In certain cases where leg wounds do not heal at all, amputation of the affected leg may be done. Because of the seriousness of such complications, it is important to take the necessary measures to regulate blood sugar levels, and this can be done through:

diet

exercise

medications

Diabetics are advised to strictly adhere to this diabetic treatment regimen to effectively control diabetes. They are further encouraged to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels. Sometimes it can be a good thing to invest in a gadget that measures blood sugar levels so you don’t have to go to the lab anymore.

Make regular trips to your diabetologist so he can see how well you are coping with the treatment plan. Depending on your response to the treatment, he may change, reduce, or add your medications.

Certain herbs and spices are said to regulate blood sugar levels. Nonetheless it is always wise to consult with your doctor first before trying any alternative therapy.

Even if you do not have diabetes now, just have routine checkups with your doctor, and observe yourself closely for the presence of some symptoms of diabetes.

A normal blood sugar level is critical to maintaining proper balance within the bloodstream of the human body. Glucose, the main source of energy for animal and human cells is a form of sugar that is found traveling throughout the bloodstream. Glucose is converted into your body after you eat foods that contain carbohydrates. Glucose levels are regulated and maintained by glucagon and insulin hormones. Insulin is produced by the pancreas organ and is released into the the blood stream whenever a rise in the amount of glucose is determined.

Normal blood glucose levels have a range between 70 and 150 mg and are generally lower in the morning (when you wake up) and rise after food is consumed. Blood glucose sugar levels that fall above the 150 mg range are normally considered to be signs of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Chronic or frequent low levels, falling below 70 mg. are indicative of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is considered a potential serious or even fatal condition if left untreated. Some symptoms of low blood glucose levels include (but are not limited to) irritability, lethargic (lack of energy) as well as the loss of consciousness. People who experience persistent or frequent bouts of hyperglycemia can experience diseases related to blood glucose - mainly diabetes which can result in damage to the eyes, kidneys and nerves.

Persons who experience symptoms of high or low blood sugar should take a blood glucose test which will measure the amount of glucose present in the bloodstream. Physicians who perform testing for glucose levels are usually checking for the presence of various diabetes diseases, including type I, type II or gestational diabetes. There are many types of glucose tests available. The fasting blood glucose test is administered in order to check glucose level amounts following an 8 hour fast. Normal levels for this test are considered to be between 70 and 99 mg. There is also a postprandial blood sugar test that is administered which measures blood glucose levels within the blood two hours following eating a meal. Normal glucose levels in the blood for this test are considered between 70 and 145 mg. Another type of test, called random blood sugar testing monitors glucose levels at random intervals throughout the day - independent of the time or whether or not meals have been consumed. Normal glucose readings for this test are considered to be between 70 and 125 mg. There is also the oral glucose tolerance test which is frequently administered to women in the mid-stages of pregnancy. With this test, glucose levels are measured following drinking a sugary drink which contains glucose.

The rate of insulin initiation in elderly Type 2 diabetes patients taking oral anti-diabetes drugs is low, whether this is due to failure of first-line drug therapy or better management of the condition is not clear, say researchers.

“Unfortunately, oral antidiabetes drugs have limited efficacy for long-term glucose lowering and, therefore, many patients may require insulin to achieve better metabolic control,” explain Jean-Pierre Gregoire (University of Quebec, Canada) and colleagues.

They conducted a population-based cohort study among people aged 66 years or older, including 69,674 new users of oral antidiabetes drugs, .

The researchers found that 1955 (2.8%) patients who were initially taking oral antidiabetes medication alone started insulin therapy over a median follow-up period of 2.9 years. The rate of initiation of insulin therapy was 9.7 cases per 1000 patient??”years.

Factors predicting initiation of insulin therapy included initially receiving an insulin secretagogue rather than metformin, receiving oral corticosteroids, using glucometer strips, prescription of initial oral antidiabetes medication by an endocrinologist or an internist, receipt of a higher initial dose of oral antidiabetes medication, a hospital stay in the year before initiation of oral antidiabetes therapy, and receipt of 16 or more medications overall.

However, those who initially received thiazides rather than other oral antidiabetes treatment, or who used up to 12 medications compared with none were less likely to have insulin therapy started.

“There is a need for better understanding of the role of insulin in elderly patients who start oral antidiabetes therapy,” conclude Gregoire et al.

They add: “Further investigation is needed to explore the relation among glycemic control, insulin initiation, and health outcomes, notably in elderly patients with Type 2 diabetes.”

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a part of Springer Science+Business Media. © Current Medicine Group Ltd; 2009

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