Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Recognizing a Diabetes Symptom

Thousands of people in the United States are walking around with diabetes at this very moment and don't know it. Learn how to recognize a sign or diabetes symptom before it's too late.
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. With Type 1, the body is rendered incapable of manufacturing its own insulin. This type tends to occur in younger adults and children. This type is also rarer than Type 2 diabetes, with about 10% of the population affected in contrast to the nearly 90% who contract Type 2 diabetes later in life. Knowing what to watch for when seeking information about a diabetes symptom or sign is important.

Diabetes is related to the rise of blood sugar levels in your system. Unfortunately, these can't be seen and results are only available after blood testing. But other warning signs and symptoms of diabetes exist that may serve to alert you to the fact that something is not quite right with your body systems, so pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you. An early diabetes symptom is a need to visit the restroom more frequently. This is due to the fact that high amounts of glucose in urine cause increased urine output, therefore causing excessive thirst. Many people ignore this sign, but doing so can lead to dehydration. Once chemical balances in your body go topsy-turvy, other difficulties and complications rapidly follow, so heed such changes to your body.

Due to the growing imbalance of chemicals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates in your body during early onset diabetes, and the inability of your body to create enough insulin, the body then turns to other alternatives for its energy source. A gradual or sudden weight loss and increased appetite is another alarming diabetes symptom. This condition can also lead to chronic fatigue, a growing sense of nausea and even vomiting. Many people mistake these as flu-like symptoms at first. If left untreated, this symptom of diabetes can lead to more alarming conditions. Bladder and skin infections can occur, and fluctuating blood sugar levels can disturb vision and caused blurred eyesight. Still worse, glucose levels that dramatically increase can lead to a sense of lethargy and coma.

Everyone knows their own body and listens to signals when things aren't quite right. So how do you know that you don't just have a bad case of the flu or you're not just overworked and in need of a vacation? Visit your doctor and ask for a fasting blood glucose test. After setting up an appointment with your physician, you'll be asked to fast over night or for at least eight hours prior to the test. A single drop of blood is taken from your finger and either sent to a lab or tested in the physician's office using a glucose meter. Results are almost instantaneous. One simple test is all you need to take in order to determine whether you've been suffering from a diabetes symptom, so when in doubt, take the test.

Knowing how to recognize a diabetes symptom is crucial. Find out more about recognizing a diabetes symptom at http://DealWithDiabetes.com/diabetessymptom.html.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chonticha_Marijne

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