Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms in Women and Men: What to Know – Healthline

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that prevents your body from being able to properly use insulin. Its the result of increased insulin resistance and your pancreas not making enough insulin to manage your blood sugar (glucose) levels.

About 1 in 10 Americans has diabetes, and type 2 diabetes represents 90 to 95 percent of those cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There are many symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Its important to know what they are because diabetes because the condition can be prevented or delayed if caught early.

Read on for the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes vary from person to person. They can develop slowly over many years and might be so mild that you dont notice them.

Polyuria, or excessive urination, is one of the 3 Ps of diabetes.

Your kidneys eventually cant keep up with the extra glucose in your bloodstream. Some of the glucose ends up in your urine and draws in more water. This leads to more frequent urination.

Adults naturally produce 1 to 2 liters of urine per day (a liter is about a quart). Polyuria is defined as more than 3 liters per day.

Excessive thirst, or polydipsia, is often a result of frequent urination. Your body urges you to replace lost fluids by making you feel thirsty.

Of course, everyone gets thirsty sometimes. Extreme thirst is uncharacteristic and persistent, no matter how often you replenish.

Excessive hunger is called polyphagia.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body has a hard time turning glucose into energy. This makes you feel hungry. Eating introduces even more sugar that cant be processed, and it doesnt alleviate the hunger.

Diabetes increases your risk of several eye conditions, including:

The increased blood sugar from diabetes can damage blood vessels, including those in the eye, leading to blurry vision.

Fatigue can be a mental or physical tiredness that doesnt improve with rest. There are many causes of fatigue.

Its a difficult symptom to research, but a 2016 study concluded that people with type 2 diabetes may experience fatigue as a result of fluctuations between high and low glucose levels.

If you have type 2 diabetes, regular cuts and scratches can take longer to heal. Wounds on your feet are common and easy to overlook. Slow healing foot ulcers occur due to poor blood supply as well as damage to the nerves responsible for blood flow to the feet.

A 2020 study showed that diabetic foot ulcers dont mobilize the immune cells needed for proper inflammation and healing.

High glucose can damage the blood vessels that supply nutrients to your nerves. When your nerves dont receive enough oxygen and nutrients, they cannot function properly.

This is called diabetic neuropathy and is most common in your extremities.

Insulin resistance causes glucose to build up in the bloodstream instead of being turned into energy. This can cause your body to consume other energy sources, like muscle or fat tissue.

Your weight might naturally fluctuate a little. An unexplained loss of at least 5 percent of your body weight is generally agreed as a need to talk with your healthcare professional.

In addition to nerve damage and a weakened immune system, poor blood circulation also increases the chance of developing an infection in people with diabetes. Having more sugar in your blood and tissues allows infections to spread faster.

People with diabetes commonly develop infections of the:

Acanthosis nigricans is a skin condition that can be a symptom of diabetes. It appears as dark bands of skin that may have a velvety texture.

This is most common in body folds such as your armpits, neck, and groin, but can also occur elsewhere.

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Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms in Women and Men: What to Know - Healthline