Diabetes Type1 and Type 2 have very similar symptoms. One important difference is that until recently Type 2 diabetes was only found in persons over the age of fourteen or fifteen years old. Even then, these cases were exceptions Type 2 diabetics were usually diagnosed until they were older than twenty. Now due to irregular eating habits, carbohydrate filled foods, lack of exercise and inheritance factors more and more children are diagnosed with diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune deficiency by which the pancreas is not capable of producing insulin to process the glucose in the blood stream. Having said this, there are no early signs of diabetes. When symptoms appear, diabetes has set in. People who have had diabetics in their families are perfect candidates. At least one child of a parent who has been diagnosed with diabetes will have diabetes him or herself. It is possible that more have it but the minimum is one. This statistic includes both Type a1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Overweight people, including children of all ages and people who have a hereditary tendency to be overweight are also very good candidates for either type of diabetes. People who do not exercise regularly; and eat a lot of carbohydrate filled foods are also liable to get diabetes. So keeping healthy eating habits and doing a little exercise, everyday if possible will help you avoid diabetes.
Early signs of diabetes are hard to detect but there are certain things that may serve as warning signs. When a person wakes up in the morning and constantly has a feeling of numbness in either his hands or feet or both. This may be a sign of poor circulation caused by an excess of glucose in the blood stream. If these episodes happen during the day, while awake and active it is imperative that blood circulation and diabetes testing being done immediately. Either one of these can be very dangerous.
Constant hunger, even after finishing a meal or eating something is another sign which indicates that the body is not getting enough fuel to produce energy. The body’s fuel comes from the glucose in the blood stream, if it is not being processed then the body is not receiving energy. This condition will also cause a slow but constant loss of weight. This weight loss has no justification. Another sign which we must pay attention to is a constant thirst and skin dryness. The liver and kidneys need great amounts of water to get rid of the excess glucose in the blood so the body draws water from wherever it can find it. This condition will also produce excess urination during the day and also at night.
There are no sure signs that will indicate that a person is a diabetic, but when signs like those mentioned above are detected, diabetic testing is a good option. The tests are done in the doctor’s office and do not require much time or effort. There is no danger in them either. But on the other hand, not getting them done and finding out one year or two years later that in fact the person is a diabetic will have been a waste of precious time. Diabetes can lie in wait for a long time and hit you all of a sudden with great strength and serious consequences.