Symptoms of Diabetes in Women

Know the first four warning symptoms of diabetes that body indicates

All women should be aware of the first four signs and symptoms of diabetes in women. Medical term Diabetes Mellitus simply refers to a condition in which body fails to maintain the blood sugar levels at a balance. This imbalance in blood sugar is due to either the insufficient quantity of insulin hormone or due to inefficiency of insulin hormone.

Types of diabetes in women

There are four types of diabetes in women.

Type 1 diabetes: This starts in the early stages of childhood or by birth and it is completely a genetic problem.

Type 2 diabetes: Onset of this is in the later stages of life like mostly after 40s. It is a lifestyle disease with a hereditary base.

Gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes occurs only in pregnancy. It may start in the early or later stages of pregnancy.

Secondary diabetes: It is due to the presence of some other disease conditions or as side effect of some medicines taken for other complaints.

Warning symptoms of diabetes in women

There are four main warning signs and symptoms of diabetes in women.

Excessive thirst: Polydipsia is one of the main symptoms of diabetes in women.

Body tends to maintain the blood sugar level by eliminating excess glucose through urine. As more water drains out from body, the individual feels thirstier. So feeling of excessively thirsty is a symptom of diabetes in women.

Excessive hunger: Polyphagia is another main symptom of diabetes in women.

Body expels the excess glucose out in order to maintain the blood sugar level at control. No glucose is stored in the body for further requirement. So patient remains hungry most of the time. That is why excessive appetite is counted as a one of the main symptoms of diabetes in women.

Excessive urination: Polyuria is also a main symptom of diabetes in women.

As the insulin fails to function properly, the glucose is not converted in to glycogen for storing purposes. As a result, the blood sugar level increases and thus body have to eliminate extra glucose. In order to eliminate it through urine, the production of the same has to be increased. So that increased urination is a warning symptom of diabetes in women.

Vaginal thrush: Vaginal Candidiasis is a very prominent symptom of diabetes in women.

The increased levels of blood sugar in the body facilitate the growth of the Candida yeast in the vaginal area. It appears in patient as vaginal irritations, itching and a discharge with foul smell.

General symptoms of diabetes in women

General symptoms of diabetes in women are almost same for all types of diabetes. They are:

Excessive thirst
Excessive hunger
Excessive urination
Recurrent vaginal infections
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue
Slow wound healing
Blurred vision
Skin infections
Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
Foul breath
Urinary tract infections
Female sexual dysfunction
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Irritability
Nausea

Advantages of knowing the early symptoms of diabetes in women

The awareness of early warning symptoms of diabetes in women helps to diagnose the disease in early stages. The patient will be able to start medications, appropriate diet modifications and exercises in the early stage itself. It helps to control the blood sugar levels and thus can avoid complications of diabetes.

Pre-diabetic stage

There is a pre-diabetic stage just before the onset of type 2 diabetes. Normally there won’t be any symptoms of diabetes in women at that stage. But if one could found out the increased borderline level of the blood sugar at that time, it is completely curable. Only diet modification and exercise regimen is enough at this stage.

Is diabetes curable if diagnosed in early stages?

In obese persons with type 2 diabetes, it is found possible with strict diet modifications and exercise regimen. The patient has to switch in to a low carbohydrate, high protein and high fiber diet. But medication is very essential in the initial stage to control the blood sugar levels.

Who all are prone to get diabetes?

Diabetes is a hereditary disease. If the close relatives like parents or grandparents have a history of diabetes, the individual have a chance of 75 to 80% for getting it. But in type 2 diabetes it is a lifestyle disease and over weight is a risk factor for it. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can reduce the chance or delay its onset in life.

What are the differences in type 1 and type 2 symptoms of diabetes in women?

There are no difference in type 1 and type 2 symptoms of diabetes in women. Type 1 diabetes starts in the early stages of life like in childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes starts in later stages of life. As it is a lifestyle disease, the risk of it can be reduced through healthy food habit and maintaining an ideal body weight with active lifestyle.

How we can doubt diabetes in very small children or infants?

Infants without proper weight gain can be suspected for having diabetes, especially if they have hereditary of diabetes in parents.

Babies may remain irritated mostly and a faster mode of heart rate may also be seen. Presence of ants in the place where kids urinate is a clear indication of diabetes.

How do you know that you have diabetes?

Three “P”s like polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria are the main warning symptoms of diabetes in women. In addition to that if somebody experience the other symptoms of diabetes in women like unintentional sudden weight loss, fatigue without any physical exertion, very slow healing of wounds and blurring in vision, it is doubtful to have an unbalanced blood sugar levels.

How do you know you know if a person has diabetes?

If an individual seems to have problems of dry mouth, irritability, skin infections and foul breath, she can be suspected for elevated blood sugar levels. In addition she might be having the early symptoms of diabetes in women like increased thirst, hunger, urination and frequent vaginal infections.

How diabetes can be tested?

Blood test is the common method for testing blood sugar levels. The sample of blood collected in the early morning before food (fasting) should give a normal range of 80 to 120 mg/dl. Blood sample of two hours after food (post prandial) should give a normal result of 140 to 180mg/dl. If the sample is a random, then the normal range is between 120 to 160mg/dl. Normal range of glycosylated haemoglobin is 6 -8%.

Symptoms of diabetes in young girls

Type 1 diabetes is seen in adolescent girls. It is a very crucial time with development of sex organs and attaining puberty. In addition to the main symptoms of diabetes in women, other symptoms observed in young girls are underweight, irritability, mood swings, dry skin, blurred vision, delay in attaining menstruation, breast development, hip development or body hair growth. Polycystic ovary syndrome and recurrent urinary tract infections are also observed.

Symptoms of diabetes in young women age 20 to 40

It is the reproductive age in women. Body under go through a series of important functions like pregnancy, delivery, and breast feeding. In addition to the general symptoms of diabetes in women, the patient may experience low sex drive and polycystic ovarian syndrome. There are complications in diabetic women to conceive and problems with child birth.

Is safe pregnancy is possible for diabetic women?

Safe pregnancy is very much possible for women with diabetes. Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is required. Medication doses and diet should be adjusted accordingly to maintain the normal blood sugar levels.

Symptoms of diabetes in women over 40

This is the age for women to develop type 2 diabetes. Women with overweight have a high risk. Symptoms of diabetes in women are same as the common symptoms. They include:

Excessive thirst, hunger and urination.
Frequent vaginal and urinary tract infections
Unwanted sudden weight loss and fatigue
Slow wound healing
Numbness or tingling in the feet and arms
Blurring in vision
Skin infections
Yeast infections in the mouth (oral yeast infections)
Foul smell
Low sex drive or female sexual dysfunction
Mood swings
Polycystic ovary syndrome

Women with type 1 diabetes in her early stages of life have chances of getting early menopause in this age.

Symptoms of diabetes in women over 50

It is the time of “double challenge” to the body to deal with menopause and type 2 diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes in women seen after 50 years are

Excessive thirst, hunger and urination
Weight gain
Vaginal and oral infections
Urinary tract infections
Sleep problems
Sexual problems
Fatigue
Blurring or loss of vision
Foul breath
Loss of sensation in hands or feet (peripheral neuropathy)

Gestational diabetes

It is a diabetic condition that develops only in pregnancy. It may start in the early stages or later stages of pregnancy. In most cases it appears with the same symptoms of diabetes in women. Rarely in some women, there won’t be any symptoms of diabetes. That is why doctors ask for a blood sugar test to all pregnant women.

Complications of diabetes

If the patient doesn’t take any medication to control the blood sugar levels, after experiencing the symptoms of diabetes in women, it can lead to many serious complications.