Symptoms of adult diabetes are a direct result of the body's incapacity of producing insulin and of metabolizing sugar. The symptoms are pretty much the same whether we are talking about type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Symptoms are provoked by a high level of blood sugar, so the factors that have generated this condition are not relevant. The most notable difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is that the first one develops suddenly and symptoms onset right away, while the other one can last for years without any symptom to become visible.
The most common symptoms of adult diabetes are -
1. Increased thirst
2. Frequent urination
3. Weight loss
4. Hunger
5. Tiredness and irritability
6. Recurring infections
7. Blurred vision
8. Slow-healing wounds
9. Tingling in the body's extremities
Although the symptoms might not seem related between them or related with high blood sugar, they all are. When blood sugar is high, the body tries to solve this problem and to eliminate the excess sugar. Kidneys are responsible for this, so they start producing more urine and pulling fluids from the tissue in order to flush away glucose. This is the explanation for increased thirst and frequent urination.
Increased appetite and weight loss also go hand in hand, although it seems impossible. They are both ways of fueling the body cells. Since glucose is not carried to the cells to provide them with energy, the body starts looking for other sources of energy. This is why more food is needed. Despite this, the patients start losing pounds because fats and proteins that were stored are now used as energy sources.
The frequent infections, the blurred vision, the slow-healing wounds and the tingling are symptoms of adult diabetes that mostly occur in type 2 diabetes. The slow-healing wounds and the recurrent infections usually appear because the body is weakened by the lack of energy and it is incapable of fighting bacteria. Lack of energy is also responsible for other symptoms of adult diabetes like fatigue and irritability. High blood sugar affects blood vessels on the long run and it can cause other symptoms like tingling in the hands and feet and blurred vision.
Symptoms in adult diabetes need to be discovered as soon as possible because if the treatment is started right away, the risk of developing complication reduces considerably. Because the symptoms in adult diabetes often seem harmless if taken one by one, it can last a long period of time before a proper diagnose is established.
