Diabetes has become a disease that is more and more common both in children and adults. With the advent of more cases of diabetes, there are more and varied treatments of the disease including a variety of medications and a lot of good suggestions regarding diet and exercise, which can often help control diabetes without medication.
How do you know if you might have diabetes? There are some specific signs and symptoms to look at that point to the possibility that you might have diabetes and need to check with your doctor.
There are three symptoms that are usually classic symptoms of Type 1 diabetes. They are frequent urination, increased or excessive thirst (resulting in a higher liquid intake) and increased appetite. Sometimes Type 1 symptoms develop quickly over a period of weeks or months, especially in children and young people. Another symptom may be weight loss – even if the individual is eating well and eating more than usual. Excessive fatigue that cannot be overcome can be a symptom, as well.
In Type 2 diabetes, the many of the symptoms can be the same, however, they develop much more slowly and subtly and may not even be noticeable. This is why individuals often have developed the disease, and do not realize they have diabetes until the disease is more advanced.
Other issues that can help identify diabetes are dehydration (even though the person is drinking extra liquids), glucose in urine (determined by a urine test), vision changes – especially blurred vision – which can come on gradually (usually with Type 2) or rapidly (usually with Type 1) and should be addressed immediately to avoid permanent damage, and sometimes urea leading to very bad breath, rapid, deep breathing, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
If you or your child/teen are experiencing any of these symptoms or a combination of them, see your doctor immediately. With a few tests the doctor can determine what the problem is and whether it is diabetes, as opposed to another medical issue or simply an imbalance. The doctor will then determine how to treat your symptoms, which could include diet changes and/or medication or both.
Regardless of the treatment, there have been many improvements in working with and treating diabetes, and with the right treatment, you can control your symptoms and live a long, healthy and normal life.
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