How Do You Know Your Diabetic

When Do People First Experience Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes

The majority of people with T1D first experience symptoms in childhood, typically between the ages of 4 and 14. A small number, however, develop symptoms in infancy or toddlerhood.

An even smaller subset of people with type 1 diabetes will be diagnosed as adults, after the age of 20. The onset of type 1 diabetes is slower in adults, so they might experience mild symptoms for a longer period of time before diagnosis than children typically do.

Type 1 diabetes symptoms in children look similar to the symptoms in toddlers and babies, with a few notable differences. Mood swings and irritability, for example, can affect anyone with T1D, but this common symptom might be mistaken for an ordinary temper tantrum in preverbal toddlers, or as colic in younger babies.

Type 1 diabetes symptoms in babies and toddlers include weight loss and stunted growth a condition known as failure to thrive which is rare in adults. Failure to thrive might be the only noticeable symptom of T1D in a baby or toddler, since older children can clue parents in to symptoms such as increased urination or blurred vision.

One important thing we need to point out is that type 1 diabetes is often associated with children, but it happens to adults as well, Dr. Christofides says. Adult-onset, or late-onset type 1 diabetes symptoms look slightly different and can be harder to recognize and diagnose as a result.

How Is Type 1 Diabetes Treated

Treatment means good diabetes control to minimize symptoms; prevent health problems; and help kids have normal physical, mental, emotional, and social growth and development. To do this, parents and kids should aim to keep blood sugar levels within the goal range as much as possible.

In general, kids with type 1 diabetes need to:

• take insulin as prescribed

Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes

These tend to show up after your glucose has been high for a long time.

• Yeast infections. Both men and women with diabetes can get these. Yeast feeds on glucose, so having plenty around makes it thrive. Infections can grow in any warm, moist fold of skin, including:
• Between fingers and toes
• Under breasts
• In or around sex organs

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What To Expect At The Doctors Office

Its normal to be nervous as you head to your doctors appointment to explore a potential diagnosis of diabetes. Knowing what you may expect during your appointment can help calm the nerves. Your doctor will likely do a physical exam and ask you questions about your symptoms and family history. Typically, the first course of action to test for diabetes is to do a blood test.

Youre Taking More Bathroom Breaks

When you have diabetes, your body becomes less efficient at breaking food down into sugar, so you have more sugar sitting in your bloodstream, says Dobbins. Your body gets rid of it by flushing it out in the urine. Thats why youre going to the bathroom a lot. Most patients arent necessarily aware of how often they use the bathroom, says Dr. Cypess. When we ask about it, we often hear, Oh yeah, I guess Im going more often than I used to,’ he says. But one red flag is whether the need to urinate keeps you up at night. Once or twice might be normal, but if its affecting your ability to sleep, that could be a symptom to pay attention to.

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Yellowish Scaly Patches On And Around Your Eyelids

These develop when you have high fat levels in your blood. It can also be a sign that your diabetes is poorly controlled.The medical name for this condition is xanthelasma.

Take action

• Tell your doctor about the yellowish scaly patches around your eyes.
• Talk with your doctor about how to better control your diabetes. Controlling diabetes can clear the scaly patches.

Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes

You might notice:

• Unplanned weight loss. If your body can’t get energy from your food, it will start burning muscle and fat for energy instead. You may lose weight even though you haven’t changed how you eat.
• Nausea and vomiting. When your body resorts to burning fat, it makes ketones. These can build up in your blood to dangerous levels, a possibly life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Ketones can make you feel sick to your stomach.

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Could You Have Diabetes And Not Know It

Our bodies change a lot as we get older. We may lose tolerance for certain foods, experience higher blood pressure, or have difficulty controlling our blood sugar. For some of us, a change in diet or lifestyle is all it takes to alleviate these symptoms.

For others, we could be living with diabetes without knowing it and the sooner we realize it, the better we can take control of our health.

So how can you know if you have diabetes? When do symptoms reveal that something more than a change of diet is needed in order to be truly healthy?

Dr. John Monroe, MD and his staff at the Healthy Life Family Medicine can help answer some of your questions and advise you on how to properly take care of yourself.

What Are The Risk Factors For Diabetes

Now that we know what causes diabetes to develop in the first place, youre likely wondering whether you are at risk of developing this particular condition. Its true that there are certain factors that can make you more likely to get diabetes. Knowing your risk factors arms you with knowledgeknowledge you can use to take steps to reduce that risk and stay as healthy as possible. Heres what you need to know.

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Schedule An Appointment With Dr Monroe

If you are concerned that you might have diabetes, Dr. Monroe can evaluate your symptoms with a physical examination, along with an assessment of your family history. He can then discuss with you some important steps to take care of yourself and prevent the onset of diabetes, or if you test positive, some vital suggestions to help keep it in check.

Schedule your appointment by calling 623-889-3477, or book your appointment online. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Causes Of Gestational Diabetes

Genetics and hormonal changes during pregnancy are the culprits of this type. Youre at increased risk of getting this form of diabetes if you:

• Have had it in a past pregnancy

• If you are overweight prior to pregnancy

• Have polycystic ovary syndrome

• Have given birth to a baby over nine pounds

• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes

All women become insulin-resistant late in pregnancy, thanks to hormones released mostly by the placenta. Most of the time, the pancreas amps up production of insulin to make up the difference, but in cases where it cant keep up, blood sugar levels rise and gestational diabetes develops.

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Blood Sugar And Diabetes

Many diabetes symptoms area related to blood-sugar levels being out of your target range, so monitoring your blood-sugar levels to make sure they are within your range is the name of the game with diabetes. Your doctor will let you know whether you should be monitoring your blood glucose regularlythis is usually the case for people who are taking insulin or who are having trouble controlling their blood-glucose levels. They will likely want you to keep a strict log of your blood-sugar readings so they can review it with you during appointments.

Typical targets are 80-130 mg/dL before a meal and under 180 mg/dL one to two hours after you start eating a meal. That said, these targets can vary depending on things like your age, so your doctor can let you know what your target blood-sugar range should be.

Common Canine Diabetes Symptoms

Reviewed for accuracy on August 26, 2019, by Dr. Katie Grzyb, DVM

Diabetes mellitus can affect dogs of any age, but early detection is the most important step in ensuring that your dog continues living a happy, healthy life.

Annual wellness visits are essential for early disease detection, but if you know the signs and symptoms of diabetes in dogs, you can recognize the problem between checkups and bring it to your veterinarians attention.

Keep in mind that the symptoms of diabetes in dogs can overlap with other diseases. For example, kidney and liver disease are linked to increased urination and thirst, while hyperthyroidism and some cancers can cause increased hunger.

When in doubt, take your dog to her veterinarian for a full evaluation to rule out diabetes or other conditions.

Here are the most common symptoms of diabetes in dogs.

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The Power Of Lifestyle Change

A large, multicenter research study called the Diabetes Prevention Program looked into how lifestyle changes could help prevent diabetes. What they found should give people at risk of diabetes a lot of hope.

With modest weight loss and exercise, study participants reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent over three years.

The power of healthy food and exercise habits cant be overstated. Take charge of your health by focusing on simple dietary and lifestyle changes.

What Causes These Symptoms

These symptoms occur because some or all of the glucose stays in the blood, and isnt being used as fuel for energy. The body tries to reduce blood glucose levels by flushing the excess glucose out of the body in the urine, making you more thirsty.;High levels of glucose being passed in the urine are a perfect breeding ground for the fungal infection which causes thrush. But not everyone gets symptoms. In fact, 6 out of;10 people have no symptoms when theyre diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

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How Is Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosed

Doctors can say for sure if a person has diabetes by testing blood samples for glucose. When high blood sugars show that a child has diabetes, other blood tests are usually done to help doctors find out if the child has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, because management and treatment of the diabetes may differ based on type.

If diabetes is suspected or confirmed, the doctor may refer your child to a pediatric endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of kids with diseases of the endocrine system, such as diabetes and growth disorders.

What Is The Best Treatment For Diabetes

Whatever your path of treatment, most likely youll start by checking your glucose every day, or even several times per day, in order to make decisions about insulin dosages, food, and exercise. This is a whole lifestyle so well break it down in detail after we talk about other treatments. Beyond self-monitoring, here are a few types of treatments your doctor will consider, based on your diabetes type:

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Faq: Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common symptoms of type 1 diabetes?;

Regardless of age, the most common symptoms of T1D are excessive thirst, fatigue, headache, and frequent urination.Why do people with type 1 diabetes urinate so often?

When sugar accumulates in a persons bloodstream, their body acts quickly to get rid of it by making extra urine. Excess glucose also triggers thirst signals in the brain, which results in drinking more and having to go to the bathroom more as well.

Why are type 1 diabetes symptoms different in children and adults?For reasons that still arent totally clear, the onset of T1D is much slower in adults, often taking months for symptoms to fully manifest, whereas in children, it may only take days. High blood-sugar levels are present for longer in the bloodstream of adults, meaning that there is more opportunity for long-term damage to organs and bodily systems. For instance, untreated high blood-sugar over several months time can lead to nerve and kidney damage, which is a complication often found in adults who have recently received a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, but hardly ever in children.What happens if type 1 diabetes is left untreated?T1D symptoms, if left untreated, can lead to complications such as eye damage, kidney damage, nerve damage, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Luckily, by working with your endocrinologist to manage your blood sugar, you can avoid all of them.

Type 1 Diabetes Vs Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

When you have type 1 diabetes, your symptoms may start fast, taking only a couple of weeks to ramp up. In contrast, type 2 diabetes develops much more gradually and can take several years. In fact, symptoms may be so mild at first that you dont even realize anything is off. Thats why its important to get regular checkups at your doctorthey may be able to catch changes early with blood tests and help prevent type 2 from getting worse.

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What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels

They’re less than 100 mg/dL after not eating for at least 8 hours. And they’re less than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating.

During the day, levels tend to be at their lowest just before meals. For most people without diabetes, blood sugar levels before meals hover around 70 to 80 mg/dL. For some people, 60 is normal; for others, 90.

What’s a low sugar level? It varies widely, too. Many people’s glucose won’t ever fall below 60, even with prolonged fasting. When you diet or fast, the liver keeps your levels normal by turning fat and muscle into sugar. A few people’s levels may fall somewhat lower.

Top 10 Tips For People Newly Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes

twitter summary: Ten tips for newly diagnosed T2 #diabetes: act NOW for long-term benefits, use healthy eating, exercise, meds + structured blood glucose testing

short summary: This article offers ten tips for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes: 1) Know that developing type 2 diabetes does not represent a personal failing; 2) Start to take care of your diabetes as soon as youre diagnosed ; 3) Recognize that type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease; 4) Keep in mind that food has a major impact on blood glucose; work to optimize your mealtime choices; 5) Exercise is a powerful and underutilized tool which can increase insulin sensitivity and improve health use it as much as possible; 6) Use blood glucose testing to identify patterns; 7) Dont forget that needing to take insulin doesnt mean you failed; 8) Keep learning and find support; 9) Seek out the services of a Diabetes Educator; and 10) Review our Patient’s Guide to Individualizing Therapy at www.diaTribe.org/patientguide.

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Other Signs Of Diabetes

Pay attention if you find yourself feeling drowsy or lethargic; pain or numbness in your extremities; vision changes; fruity or sweet-smelling breath which is one of the symptoms of high ketones; and experiencing nausea or vomitingas these are additional signs that something is not right. If theres any question, see your doctor immediately to ensure that your blood sugar levels are safe and rule out diabetes.

When To Test Your Blood Sugar

When you test your blood sugar is a more complicated question because it varies from person to person. If you have type 1 diabetes, typical times you may need to test your levels include:

• Before meals and snacks

• Before and after exercise

• Before going to bed

If you have type 2, you may need to test your blood sugar before meals and at bedtime.

To get specific instructions on when and how often you should be checking your blood sugar, talk with your doctor. Factors including what kind of medication you are taking can also impact your reading schedule.

How to Use a Continuous Glucose Monitor

Some people track their blood-sugar levels with a continuous glucose monitor instead of a meter with test strips. Typically, people who use a CGM have type 1 diabetes. With a CGM, there is a sensor inserted beneath your skin that automatically measures your blood glucose every few minutes. Usually, you need to change your sensor every week or twoalthough some types of CGMs have sensors that can be worn longer.

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Determining If You Have Borderline Diabetes

Prediabetes is a silent condition, so getting a regular wellness checkup is important for early detection. If you think you might have borderline diabetes, discuss your concerns with your doctor.

If your doctor is concerned you may have prediabetes, theyll most likely perform a hemoglobin A1c test or oral glucose tolerance test .

HbA1c is an indicator of your blood sugar patterns over the last two to three months, so its often a better overall picture than a single fasting blood sugar check. An HbA1c level between 5.7 and 6.4 indicates prediabetes.