Common Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Men, Women, & Children
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the recent times and most of the working-age people suffer from it. There is a lot of awareness about this “Sugar Disease” but it is still growing rapidly throughout the world. Along with mid aged people, even children have started showing early signs of diabetes. It is quite risky and if gets out of control, it can also lead to fatal consequences. Thus, it is very important to know the diabetes early symptoms so that you can take actions to prevent and treat it effectively.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes mellitus
Unlike many other diseases, detecting the early symptoms of diabetes can be really difficult. They can be so silent and hideous that you might not recognize them at all. However, if you pay enough attention to the changes in your body and behaviour, you can identify the first signs of diabetes which will then help you in combating this chronic disease in a better way.
Some of the common signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus which you can spot if you are suffering from diabetes are listed below:
Excessive Thirst (Polydipsia)
There might be an increase in thirst at the beginning even after drinking liquids and fluids on a regular basis. It is one of the early symptoms of diabetes in adults.
Frequent Urination (Polyuria)
An individual with diabetes has an urge to go for urination on a frequent basis, generally at night time.
Bedwetting in Children
The excessive amount of urination in small kids or bedwetting in children (who haven’t wet the bed before) is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes in children.
Unexplained Weight Loss (Type 1)
A sudden weight loss despite eating meals at regular intervals is one of the symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes in teenage girls and boys.
Unexplained Weight Gain (Type 2)
When an individual experience a quick and significant weight gain, then it may be due to insulin resistance. It occurs particularly in Type 2 Diabetes.
Extreme Hunger (Polyphagia)
When a person’s body is unable to utilize glucose for energy then he or she may experience a sudden increase in appetite despite having regular meals. It is said to be one of the usual symptoms of diabetes mellitus.
Blurred Vision
The vision of a person with diabetes can get blurry at times due to high blood sugar as it affects the small blood vessels in the eyes.
Frequent Infections
The people with diabetes mellitus can get various infections such as skin infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and yeast infections (due to increased sugar in the urine). These are the early symptoms of diabetes in women.
Fatigue & Weakness
One of the initial signs of diabetes is feeling weak, lethargy and tired all the time. The infected person also gets a feeling of nausea and vomiting on normal basis.
Slow Healing Sores
When your body is taking too much time to heal a normal wound then it obviously indicates you to observe the early signs of diabetes. The process of healing sores becomes too slow in this condition.
Numbness (Peripheral Neuropathy)
The most common signs of diabetes include tingling in the feet or hands, burning sensations in the affected areas, a sharp pain in the legs and a complete loss of sensation.
Regular Irritation & Mood Swings
It is a well-known fact that fluctuation in blood sugar levels can affect the mood. Thus, regular irritation and mood swings are also the symptoms of diabetes in females.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Men
From different types of diabetes, Type 2 is very common in men and it affects around 90% to 95% of the men who are suffering from the disease. However, there are some diabetes symptoms in men which if ignored can turn harmful and lead to far off consequences.
If you notice the below symptoms in your body and think that it has become a pattern, then waste no time in consulting a ‘Diabetic Physician’:
- An unusual increase in thirst frequently.
- The increase in hunger even after just eating a meal.
- Dry mouth with low saliva.
- Feeling nauseous and occasional urge of vomiting.
- Frequent urination, more than the normal frequency.
- Feeling fatigue, extremely tired, lethargic and weak throughout the time without indulging in any activity.
- Blurry vision is also one of the warning signs of diabetes.
- Numbness in the hand or feet, sometimes a tingling feeling on both.
- Infections of skin or urinary tract can also signify one of the diabetes mellitus symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Women
A lot of women are suffering from this sugar disease and many of them suffer from it during their pregnancy. Diabetes symptoms in pregnancy may not be fully visible but it usually occurs in women who are overweight before pregnancy, have a history of diabetes or have a high sugar level. Gestational diabetes symptoms occur during the time of pregnancy and proper care must be taken to avoid them.
The most common diabetes symptoms in women are as follows:
- Increase in thirst and hunger.
- Wounds of all kinds including cuts and bruises heal relatively slow.
- Unusual weight loss in a short period of time, even when eating sufficiently.
- Difficulty in vision which might look blurry at times.
- Sexual problems including lack of sex drive and low vaginal lubrication.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Children
Diabetes symptoms in children are hard to identify as they can’t articulate as nicely as adults. Thus, as a parent, it is your responsibility to look after diabetes insipidus symptoms in babies and begin with the treatment as early as possible. If you want to know whether your child is showing early signs of diabetes, you must look out for some behaviour symptoms that indicate the onset of diabetes.
Some of the first symptoms of ‘Juvenile Diabetes’ that you must look out for in children are following:
- The increase in thirst and hunger, especially after drinking and eating enough.
- Female children or babies developing a ‘Yeast Infection’ can be an early sign of juvenile diabetes.
- Having an itchy skin for a prolonged period.
- Fast heart rate and headache.
- Feeling nauseous frequently or occurrence of vomiting.
- Quick weight loss in a short amount of time.
- Wetting the bed frequently or excessive urination.