Pay Attention to These Early Symptoms of Diabetes

How To Check Symptoms Of Diabetes In Women

      Diabetes is a group of metabolic problems that cause people to have excessive blood sugar levels because their bodies have problems with insulin production. Diabetes can affect people of any age, race, or gender. This often occurs in people with an unhealthy lifestyle.

Your body uses glucose for energy, and your pancreas creates the hormone you know as insulin, which helps convert glucose from the food you eat into energy.

When the body doesn't produce enough insulin or doesn't produce insulin at all, the glucose doesn't reach your cells to be used for energy. This results in type one and type two diabetes.

According to cdc.gov 30 million (9.4% of the United States population), and 7.2 million American citizens are unaware that they have diabetes.

Research indicates the mortality rate of females with diabetes is not improving. In addition, the difference in mortality rates between women with diabetes, and those without, more than doubled.

Mortality is higher in women, but there has been a shift in the distribution of type 2 diabetes, suggesting a higher rate in men. These findings shed light on how diabetes affects women and men differently.

Diabetes isn't just a common disease. There are 3 types of diabetes: type one, type two, and gestational diabetes. Most people have type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body doesn't properly apply insulin and is unable to keep blood sugar steady (according to the CDC).

Type 1 diabetes is much rarer. Only about 5% of sufferers have type 1 diabetes, and it's an autoimmune disease, in which the body stops making insulin altogether.

Gestational diabetes sometimes occurs in pregnant women, and usually goes away after the woman gives birth, but it can increase the chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, according to the National Institute of Diabetes.

Diabetes Symptoms in Women

Many of the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes occur more frequently in women than in men. There are several signs and complications of diabetes that are unique to women, including vaginal pain, itching, and vaginal and oral yeast infections.

An overgrowth of the yeast Candida albicans can trigger vaginal yeast infections and thrush.

Signs of a vaginal yeast infection include painful intercourse, itching, vaginal tenderness, and vaginal discharge.

Symptoms of thrush include redness and pain, white patches in the mouth, difficulty eating or swallowing, and purple swollen gums or the inside of the cheek. Some diabetes complications in women are more difficult to diagnose.

Is Diabetes More Common in Males or Females?

Type 1 diabetes occurs frequently in both men and women. There are, however, certain subgroups, in which type 1 diabetes is slightly more likely to occur in sedentary people. Type 2 diabetes is equally prevalent in both men and women.

There are two types of diabetes 

Type 1 diabetes

Formerly known as juvenile diabetes, that is an autoimmune condition in which the body does not produce insulin, as the immune system attacks the insulin-producing pancreatic cells known as beta cells.

Type 2 diabetes

In this type, cells are unable to use blood sugar (glucose) successfully for energy. This happens when blood sugar becomes too high over time, and cells become insensitive to the hormone insulin.

Prediabetes usually precedes type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes is a condition when your blood sugar is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes.

Prediabetes generally has no signs and symptoms, so there may be no warning signs. Prediabetes can be confirmed by doing a blood test.

If a man or woman doesn't change their diet and lifestyle, prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms and Signs of Diabetes.

Symptoms of Diabetes Type 1 and 2

In the early stages of diabetes, the signs are usually overlooked. They tend to get worse with each passing day. It's important to talk to your doctor about the early signs of diabetes, even if it doesn't bother you.

Urinary tract infection.

Urinary tract infections occur when microorganisms enter anywhere in the urinary tract, including the urethra, ureters, kidneys, and bladder. Generally, it's more common in women than men, and it's more common in people with diabetes because the sugar in the urine creates a breeding ground for bacteria to grow.

Common symptoms of diabetes include:

- Frequent urination

- Increased hunger and thirst.

- Fluctuations in blood sugar, which can cause irritability, feeling unwell, and fainting.

- unexplained weight loss (type 1)

- Harvest weight (type 2)

Other diabetes symptoms that may develop as the disease progresses include:

- Long and irregular menstrual cycles

- Very heavy and long period

- Wounds and bruises that heal slowly

- Blurred vision

- Recurrent fungal infections

- Fatigue

You pee all the time.

When you have extra sugar coursing through your bloodstream, your body instinctively tries to get rid of it. The water follows the sugar, so you stop losing large amounts of urine.

If you notice that you are suddenly urinating more, and more frequently, for no apparent reason, especially if you wake up several times at night to go to the toilet, it is time to see a diabetes doctor.

Hunger and fatigue.

Your body turns the food you eat into glucose, which your cells use for energy. But your cells want the insulin to take up the glucose. If your body can't make enough insulin, or if your cells reject the insulin your body makes, glucose can't get into it, and you have no energy. That can leave you hungry and tired more than usual.

Your breath stinks

Diabetes-related dehydration contributes to dry mouth, and bad breath can go along with it. A dry mouth means that there is not enough saliva to wash away bacteria and balance the pH in your mouth.

Undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes can lead to ketosis, a condition where the body uses fat instead of glucose for energy.

Ketosis releases chemical byproducts known as ketones, which can make your breath smell, sometimes smelling like acetone, as it is a type of ketone. Unless you're on a keto diet, it's a good idea to consult a diabetic specialist.

Oral and Yeast Infection.

Yeast overgrowth, triggered by Candida yeast, can lead to vaginal yeast infections, oral yeast infections, and vaginal thrush. These infections occur in women.

When an infection develops in the vaginal area, the signs include painful sex, itching, pain, and discharge.

Mouth yeast infections often cause a white coating on the tongue and mouth. High glucose levels in the blood can trigger the growth of fungus.

Urinary tract infection

The risk of urinary tract infection is higher in women with diabetes. The growth of urinary tract infections when bacteria enter the urinary tract, can cause:

- burning sensation

- painful urination

- cloudy or bloody urine

There is a risk of kidney infection if these signs are left untreated.

UITI is common in women with diabetes, in large part because the immune system is compromised by hyperglycemia.

Itchy Skin and Dry Mouth

Since your body uses fluids to urinate, it loses moisture. You could be dehydrated, and your mouth may feel very dry. Your dry skin could make it itchy.

What to Do if You Have Diabetes's Symptoms?

It is important to see your medical doctor or health professional if you think you have any of the signs of diabetes listed above.

Blood glucose levels in men and women, as well as in teenagers and adults, can be checked with a simple test. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, a diabetes doctor will develop a plan to help keep your blood sugar levels under control.

If diabetes is not treated, it can cause serious problems such as nerve damage, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and kidney disease.

Summary

There is no medicine for diabetes. Once you've been diagnosed, you can only control your blood sugar levels. It has now been found that women with diabetes are 40% more likely to die of the disease.

The study also found that people with type 1 diabetes had a shorter life expectancy than the general population.

Women with type 1 diabetes may experience a reduced life expectancy of up to 20 years, and this is in contrast to type 2 diabetes, which may experience a reduction of up to 10 years.

A variety of diabetes medications, lifestyle changes, and alternative treatments can help control diabetes symptoms, and improve overall health. Consult your diabetes doctor before starting any new medication, even if you think it's safe.