Are you thinking that you may have diabetes mellitus? Are you worried that maybe a loved one or a friend may have it? If you are searching for answers, this article should help you in finding the direction in your quest for answers. In this article, I will be giving you an outline of common signs and symptoms that diabetes mellitus may present. It should be noted however, that a person who is living with diabetes may have some of these symptoms, they may have all of these symptoms or they may have no symptoms at all. The only way to really know for sure if a person has diabetes is to go to a physician and have a blood test done.

Signs and Symptoms

When a person has diabetes mellitus, their blood sugar is elevated. The elevated sugar in the bloodstream is what causes the symptoms. The most common symptoms are:

Frequent urge to urinate (Polyuria)

As the body tries to get rid of the extra sugar that is in the blood stream, water is drawn from the tissues and an increased amount of urine is produced. The person may notice that he or she has to get up several times in the night to urinate. If it is a child with this symptom, the child may suddenly starts to wet the bed during the night.

Extreme Thirst (Polydipsia)

The increased thirst is caused by the body’s need to replace the fluids lost through increased urination.

Excessive Hunger (Polyphagia)

The increased hunger is caused by the body’s need for energy because it cannot move the sugar in the bloodstream to the cells of the body where it is needed.

Fatigue, Weakness and Weight Loss

These symptoms occur when the body can neither use the blood sugar for fuel (the blood sugar is not being transported into the cells that need it) nor can the body store the excess sugar that is in the blood stream.

Infections, Slow Healing Of Wounds

The high sugar environment is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. A person with a high blood sugar oftentimes develops vaginal infections and urinary tract infections.

Pain, Numbness or Tingling in the Extremities - Trouble Getting and Maintaining an Erection

This is caused by a build up of sugar which damages the nerves and small blood vessels in these areas.

Itchy Skin

Tiny sugar crystals just beneath the surface of the skin causes someone with diabetes to feel itchy.

Vision Changes

Microscopic bleeding in the retina and dehydration causes change in the vision such as blurring of vision.

Dehydration

This occurs when body fluid is lost and is not adequately replaced.

Serious Signs and Symptoms

Serious symptoms of diabetes mellitus include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, flushed skin and a musty or fruity odour to the breath. These are the symptoms of very high blood sugar. These symptoms are more often seen in someone that has type 1 diabetes. If a person has these symptoms it is very important to contact a doctor right away and be followed up with testing.

Concern about having diabetes can be stressful. Oftentimes a person who is thinking that they may have diabetes is afraid to go to the doctor to get the diagnosis confirmed. It should be noted however that just because a person is diagnosed with diabetes, it doesn’t mean that the person will suffer from poor health for the rest of his or her life. The good news is that a person living with diabetes can live a long and healthy life. This is done by learning how to keep the blood sugar levels within a target range.

If you think that you may have diabetes, make an appointment with your physician to be tested. It is better to know for sure now than to not know and develop complications from untreated diabetes in the future.

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• Childhood Diabetes - Managing the Disease in Children
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