There are different signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus to watch out for in the different types of diabetes. There are two types of diabetes mellitus: Type 1 and type 2. Most diabetes patients fall in the second category: Type 2. The signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus in the two types are not necessarily different as such but rather vary in terms of the extent to which they affect a person’s wellbeing. It is however very important to try and read the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus before the condition gets out of control.
Type 1 diabetes
Roughly 5-10 percent of Americans suffering from diabetes mellitus can be placed in type 1. In this type of diabetes, the patient’s body completely stops producing insulin or produces insulin in very insignificant quantities. As such, one’s body is unable to regulate the blood sugar levels since the glucose produced is not processed. Type 1 diabetes mostly presents in young children or young adults as a result of failed bodily organs.
In older people, this type of diabetes presents when one engages in activities which damage the body’s organs such as the pancreas or liver as a result of too much drinking or smoking. People with type 1 diabetes basically require insulin injected into the body every single day in order to facilitate in the processing of glucose to avoid high sugar levels.
The signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes may not present very openly art first as the patient goes through the ‘honeymoon phase’. In this phase, the body’s pancreatic islet cells are still able to produce desirable quantities of insulin to support the bodily function of processing glucose and false hope of an earlier misdiagnosis could be mistaken at this point. With time, adequate amounts of insulin are not produced and the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus start presenting more vividly.
There is a possibility that type 1 diabetes could fail to be discovered early enough as a result of contradicting results. With time, however, the situation becomes quite serious when the body does not produce the required amounts of insulin or completely shuts down and produces none at all. At this point, the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus slowly start bringing about complications which could adversely affect the patient’s organs such as the kidney, nerves and eyes.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is very common and accounts for over 90% of diabetes cases in the United States. In this type of diabetes, the patient’s body does produce required quantities of insulin but the insulin is not usable in the body. The body’s immune systems tend to attack the cells which use up the insulin making them less productive and thus more glucose remains in the body eventually leading to high blood sugar.
Type 2 signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus may not be detected easily as this type of diabetes is mostly common in adults. Adults are more likely to initially repress mild symptoms and signs affecting them as opposed to younger people who will openly complain of an abnormality in normal bodily functions. Most signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus include vomiting, increased or reduced appetite and blurred vision. Since these symptoms present as a slight abnormality or an underlying effect, patients are likely to assume the grave dangers behind the symptoms and fail to take preemptive measures promptly.