Diabetes Symptoms: Excessive Thirst, Nausea, Vision Problems, and More

Understanding Diabetes -- Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Diabetes?

People with type 2 diabetes often do not have any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they are often ignored because they may not seem serious. Symptoms in type 1 diabetes usually come on much more suddenly and are often severe.

Common symptoms of diabetes include:

Excessive thirst and appetite

Increased urination (sometimes as often as every hour)

Unusual weight loss or gain

Fatigue

Nausea, perhaps vomiting

Blurred vision

In women, frequent vaginal infections

In men and women, yeast infections

Dry mouth

Slow-healing sores or cuts

Itching skin, especially in the groin or vaginal area

Call Your Doctor About Diabetes If:

You feel nauseated, weak, and excessively thirsty; are urinating very frequently; have abdominal pain

You are breathing more deeply and rapidly than normal -- perhaps with sweet breath that smells like nail polish remover -- you need immediate medical attention for ketoacidosis -- a potentially deadly complication of type 1 diabetes.

If you are having weakness or fainting spells; are experiencing a rapid heartbeat, trembling, and excessive sweating; and feel irritable, hungry, or suddenly drowsy. You could be developing hypoglycemia -- low blood sugar that can occur with diabetes treatment. Follow your treatment plan for what to do if you develop hypoglycemia.

Answer:

Low
0-69

Normal
70-130

High
131+

Your level is currently

If the level is below 70 or you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.

People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.

However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.

Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.

One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Today on WebMD