The Most Common Diabetes Symptoms In Men, Women And Children Unraveled

Diabetes is one of the world’s most prevalent and common diseases. According to the World Health Organization WHO, around 350 million people worldwide suffer from the metabolic disorder. In some cases, the disease carries no long term danger. But in most cases, diabetes has the potential to become fatal if not taken seriously. This is why it is important to identify diabetes symptoms in men, women and children.

Interestingly, many do not recognize the disease at first, as it develops insidiously and often shows no acute symptoms. Nonetheless, there are certain diabetes symptoms in men, women and children which are very common, and thus are worth taking note of.

The article will give you an understanding of the different diabetes symptoms in men, women and children, its causes and its threats. This way, you will be able to use the information to help both yourself and others around you.

DIABETES – THE DISEASE

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Diabetes pertains to the failure of the body to control blood sugar levels. This occurs by the body’s inability to secrete the right amounts of insulin, the hormone responsible for sugar level control, in the body. The result – Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The disease can be contracted at any moment in a person’s life, and is often hereditary in nature. Then again, it can also be contracted by careless eating, obesity and other physical shortcomings.

Type 1 diabetes is actually the less common of the two types. In it, the body fails to produce a sufficient amount of insulin. It therefore creates an insulin deficiency. To treat the high blood sugar levels, sufferers usually have to inject insulin throughout their lives. The type often occurs in adolescence or young adulthood. Type 1 diabetes symptoms will be covered in diabetes symptoms in men, women and children a little later on in the article.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Body cells become increasingly insensitive to the hormone insulin, meaning that it is being produced by the body aptly, but is not being used. As a result of the increasing insensitivity of the cells, the blood sugar level rises. Risk factors for this form of diabetes are mainly a genetic predisposition, obesity and lack of exercise. People normally contract Type 2 diabetes at a later stage in life, but young individuals can also contract it. Type 2 diabetes symptoms will be covered in diabetes symptoms in men, women and children a little later on in the article.

CAUSES OF DIABETES

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You might be wondering – since diabetes is such a common disease, we’ve probably figured out a cure for it. Well, as it turns out, we haven’t. Similarly, the reasons for its onset have also remained nothing less than a mystery so far. Scientists and doctors have believed that diabetes is connected to your family history, ethnicity, environmental condition and overall health.

As far as Type 1 diabetes is concerned, there are no definitive causes to mention. At the same time, these are just some that scientist believe are most influential:

• Bacterial or viral infection
• Autoimmune imbalance created by a hostile external component
• Chemical toxins ingested with food.

Type 2 causes are slightly different in nature than those of Type 1. Type 2 diabetes causes stem from both family history and physical condition of individual. These include:

• Lack of exercise and obesity
• Consuming unhealthy food over a long period of time.
• Increasing age.

DIABETES SYMPTOMS IN MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN

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Diabetes symptoms in men, women and children are a great indicator of whether the individual has indeed contracted the disease. Despite medical science having greatly evolved through time, it has still not been able to hit the bull’s eye with diabetes. Diabetes symptoms in men women and children are quite similar. Type 1 diabetes symptoms and type 2 diabetes symptoms are also almost the same. Type 2 diabetes symptoms, though, occur only after a long period of illness.

The following diabetes symptoms in men, women and children are some of the most common symptoms reported by patients:

Increased Urination

This is one of the most common of the diabetes symptoms in men, women and children. Diabetes patients often always report a urination problem. In the case of persistently high blood glucose levels, more sugar is excreted in the urine via the kidneys. Since sugar physically binds water, affected people excrete large amounts of urine at the same time. The problem becomes particularly annoying at night during sleep. The urine is usually clear and only slightly yellow in color.

Strong Thirst

The urge to urinate triggers a distressing feeling of dehydration in patients with diabetes. The body wants to compensate for the loss of fluid through increased drinking. This forces the patient to drink glass after glass of water, often to no avail. Despite filling up on water, the thirst might still be left unquenched.

Constant Weakness

Constant weakness is also one of the common diabetes symptoms in men, women and children. For diabetics, there is a lot of energy-rich glucose in the blood. However, this cannot get into the cells to be recycled. This creates a lack of energy within the cells. As a result, patients often feel powerless and physically drained. Most of the glucose the body needs is for the brain. Glucose deficiency therefore affects normal brain function. It can cause poor concentration and tiredness as well as serious disturbances of consciousness.

Blurred Vision

Another common symptom reported during the onset of diabetes is spoiled vision. The fluctuation in the blood sugar concentration in the body causes the lens in the eye to swell. The swelling can lead to blurred vision, which can last for several hours, and then return back to normal.

Itching And Dry Skin

Another one of the diabetes symptoms in men, women and children connects hydration and the skin. Sometimes diabetes triggers itching as well as very dry skin. One reason for this is the high fluid loss due to the increased urinary excretion. However, other mechanisms are suspected to also be responsible for increased itching in diabetics. These could be stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which are secreted if blood sugar is too high or too low. Changes in the blood vessel walls also contribute to the development of itching in diabetics.

Diabetes Symptoms in Men

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• Lowered Sex Drive: Many men have reported a difficulty to get an erection while not knowing they were diabetic. This is because diabetes damages nerve ending, causing a loss of sensation in the penis.
• Genital Rash: Men have also been seen to experience fungal infections in the genital area. This is because excess sugar gets passed through the urinary tract. Yeast, which thrives on sugar, causes rashes to be formed on the penis.
• Reduced Muscle Mass: Problems with blood sugar level regulation will render the body to look for other sources to feed it with energy. This is when it will begin to break down body muscle and fat to use it as a supply source.

Diabetes Symptoms in Women

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• Vaginal Infections And Irritation: Just like with men, women can also form genital rashes. Again, this is due to excess sugar passing through the urinary passage of women. The high level of glucose triggers the fungal growth, resulting in itching and soreness. Women might also experience pain and irritation while urinating.
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A symptom exclusive to women, the PCOS causes a productive of male hormones in the body. This results in irregular periods, acne and weight gain.
• Decreased Sex Drive: Just like in men, women also face problems in the bed. Sugar levels cause the nerve ending around the vagina to be damaged, causing a loss of sensation.