The Symptoms Of Diabetes

The signs and symptoms of diabetes can include:

• Being thirsty all the time with a dry mouth, and so drinking more, and so urinating more often, which can be especially noticeable if you have to get up more often during the night
• Tiredness, weakness or fatigue
• Loss of weight and muscle wasting
• Blurred vision
• Itchiness around the vagina or penis or regular bouts of vaginal thrush,
• Cuts or sores take a long time to heal

The symptoms of Type 1 diabetes (Insulin dependent) usually develop quickly over a period of weeks or days and you will normally feel unwell enough to see your doctor straight away. This type of diabetes usually affects children and teenagers, and is commonest between the ages of 10 and 14. It used to be called insulin dependent diabetes and requires insulin therapy .

The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes develop slowly over a long period of months or years. It is therefore quite common to have Type 2 diabetes for years without realising it because you adapt to the symptoms, and you can easily ignore them, or just take them as part of growing older. By the time you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes it is  common to have suffered with this for many years, during which time damage has already been caused to your body. Type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed as part of a routine medical check-up rather than you going to the doctor with symptoms, and so having routine check-ups with your doctor is important.