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Jul 9, 20203 min read

Diabetes Type 2 Symptoms

Updated: Nov 10, 2020


I am STRONGER than diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition when the body is unable to make enough insulin or the insulin it makes doesn't work properly.

The hormone insulin helps move the glucose from your blood into your cells, where it’s used for energy.


Diabetes Type 2 Symptoms

  • constant hunger

  • a lack of energy

  • fatigue

  • weight loss

  • excessive thirst

  • frequent urination

  • dry mouth

  • itchy skin

  • blurry vision

As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe and potentially dangerous.

If your blood glucose levels have been high for a long time, the symptoms can include:

  • yeast infections

  • slow healing cuts or sore

  • dark patches on your skin, a condition known as acanthosis nigricans

  • foot pain

  • feelings of numbness in your extremities or neuropathy

If you have two or more of these symptoms, you should see your doctor. Without treatment, diabetes can become life-threatening.


Diabetes type 2 symptoms in women (unique)


Diabetes type 2 symptoms in women are almost same as those in men; however, there are some symptoms and complications of diabetes unique to women.

Vaginal itching and pain as well as vaginal and oral yeast infections: An overgrowth of Candida albicans fungus can cause vaginal yeast infections and oral yeast infections (oral thrush). Symptoms of vaginal yeast infections include:

  1. Vaginal itching and pain

  2. Vaginal discharge

  3. Painful sexual intercourse.

Symptoms of oral thrush include:

  1. White patches in the mouth

  2. Redness and soreness

  3. Trouble eating or swallowing

  4. Swollen red gums or inner cheeks.

5. Decrease in sex drive: Women with diabetes may experience lower sex drive (libido), blood flow problems to the genital area, which can decrease sexual response and orgasm, and nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy) that can result in vaginal dryness and decreased sensation.


6. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) : This is a common cause of female infertility and insulin resistance. It can cause signs and symptoms like irregular periods, acne, thinning scalp hair, and excess hair growth on the face and body. High insulin levels also increase the risk of developing diabetes, and about half of women with PCOS develop diabetes.


7. Urinary tract infections (UTIs): A UTI occurs when bacteria enter anywhere in the urinary tract, including the urethra, ureters, kidneys, and bladder. They are much more common in women than in men in general, and they occur more often in people with diabetes because the sugar in the urine presents a breeding ground for bacterial growth.


Diabetes type 2 symptoms in men (unique)


1.Damage to the autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Blood vessels can be damaged by diabetes that can slow blood flow into the penis. This is another common cause of ED among men with diabetes.


2.Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection.

3.Men with diabetes can also face retrograde ejaculation. This results in some semen being released into the bladder. Symptoms may include noticeably less semen released during ejaculation.


Diabetes type 2 Causes

Diabetes type 2 causes - foodogma

Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. It helps your cells turn glucose, a type of sugar, from the food you eat into energy. People with type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their cells don't use it as well as they should.

At first, your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get glucose into your cells. But eventually, it can't keep up, and the glucose builds up in your blood instead.


Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors

Certain things make it more likely that you’ll get type 2 diabetes. The more of these that apply to you, the higher your chances of getting it are. Some things are related to who you are:

  • Age: 45 or older

  • Family : A parent, sister, or brother with diabetes

  • Prediabetes

  • Heart and blood vessel disease

  • High blood pressure, even if it's treated and under control

  • Low HDL ("good") cholesterol

  • High triglycerides

  • Being overweight or obese

  • Having a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds

  • Gestational diabetes while you were Pregnant

  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

  • Depression

  • Getting little or no  exercise

  • Smoking

  • Stress

  • Sleeping too little or too much

Super Foods to fight Diabetes Type 2


 

Reference

  • https://www.facebook.com/WebMD. “Type 2 Diabetes: The Basics.” WebMD, WebMD, 2007, www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes.

  • ‌Pietrangelo, Ann. “Understanding Type 2 Diabetes.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 24 July 2014, www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes#causes.

  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193

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