Diabetes mellitus is simply a name that refers to the group of conditions that fall under the heading of diabetes. These include type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Other metabolic conditions that are closely related include prediabetes and insulin insensitivity.
These conditions revolve around an inability to use or produce insulin – the hormone that the body uses in order to absorb sugar from the blood and into the cells where it can be used to supply energy.
In type 1 diabetes, the condition tends to emerge at an earlier age and is caused by the death of cells that exist specifically to produce insulin. Without those cells, the body then can’t produce the insulin it needs and blood sugar levels rise significantly. This can be known as ‘insulin-dependent diabetes’ because the patients will require regular insulin injections to manage it.
In type 2 diabetes meanwhile, the body simply becomes less sensitive to insulin. This is often caused by dietary changes – consuming too many carbohydrates or too much sugar for instance. Over time, the body stops reacting to increases in insulin and may eventually stop producing it.
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy in mothers. Prediabetes meanwhile is an early form of insulin insensitivity and a warning sign that the patient may be developing type 2 diabetes.
There is no cure for diabetes but fortunately the condition can be managed. In this post, we will look at 16 different symptoms of diabetes so that you can get the care you require as soon as possible.
1. High Blood Sugar
The most obvious change in the body is that blood sugar levels will rise. Without insulin to trigger the absorption and use of sugar, levels rise steadily to the point of near saturation. This is one of the things that doctors can then look for in order to identify if diabetes might be the problem.
You won’t be able to tell if you have high blood sugar yourself but you will be able to identify some of the symptoms caused by high blood sugar – which will account for many items on this list.
