Adult Diabetes: Diagnosis & Symptoms
More than 20 million
Americans currently suffer from diabetes while about 54
million Americans are estimated to have pre-diabetes.
The causes of type 1
diabetes appear to be much different than those for type 2 diabetes, though doctors
do not know the exact cause for either.
The appearance of type 1
diabetes is suspected to follow exposure to an "environmental
trigger," such as an unidentified virus, stimulating an immune attack
against the beta cells of the pancreas (that produce insulin) in some
genetically predisposed people.
If you have been diagnosed
with diabetes, you might have some of the following symptoms:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme hunger
- Sudden vision changes
- Tingling or numbness in
hands or feet
- Feeling very tired much
of the time
- Very dry skin
- Sores that are slow to
heal
- More infections than usual
Nausea, vomiting, or
stomach pains may accompany some of these symptoms in the abrupt onset of type
1 diabetes.
