Type 1 diabetes

How to Tell if You Have Diabetes

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If you believe that you may have diabetes, consult a medical professional immediately.
There are 2 main types of diabetes.  Type 1, (your body does not produce insulin) sometimes known as juvenile diabetes which is more commonly diagnosed in children but can present at any age. Type 2, (your body does not absorb insulin correctly) sometimes known as adult-onset diabetes, is often subtle and may be due to aging or obesity. Type 2 diabetes is growing in children and teens as well. General signs that warrant further investigation are:

 Steps

1.   Check to see if you have one or many of the following symptoms:
   
   
   • Seek urgent medical attention if you have a fruity smell on your breath. This is a symptom of Ketoacidosis (ketones are a by product of when your body uses fat for energy)caused by severe hyperglycemia (high blood sugars), and requires urgent medical attention. Diabetics who miss their insulin dose, even without ketoacidosis, can have fruity breath. It's a warning sign not to be ignored.
     
   • Excessive thirst
     
   • Excessive hunger
     
   • Frequent urination (you wake 3 or more times in the night to urinate)
     
   • Unexplained significant weight loss
     
   • Fatigue (particularly after eating)
     
   • Feeling irritable
     
   • Wounds that don't heal or heal slowly
     
   • Frequent or lingering infections
     
   • Leg cramps (usually occurring as the undiagnosed disease worsens and mostly during the night)
     
   • Blurred or other changes in vision
     
   
   
2.  See your health care provider for confirmation.
   

 Video

 Tips

• Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight or obese; being African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Native-American, or of Pacific-Islander descent; having a family history of diabetes; having a history of gestational diabetes. If you have one or more of these risk factors, talk to your doctor about getting a fasting plasma glucose test.[1]
  
• The onset of hyperglycemia is known when a person’s glucose level goes beyond the ideal level, and although it can occur on its own, it is highly considered as the major symptom of Diabetes Mellitus. In fact, it is known to be the primary cause of several complications associated with diabetes. If left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to more serious health issues, such as nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney damage or failure, blindness, and severe circulation problems resulting in difficult-to-treat infections that can progress into gangrene necessitating amputation (particularly in the lower extremities).
  
• Type 1 diabetes: results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin.
  
• Type 2 diabetes: results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency.
  
• Gestational diabetes: is when pregnant women, who have never had diabetes before, have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. It may precede development of type 2 DM.[2]
  
• Blood glucose indicators normally used are the blood glucose levels and the A1c. The blood glucose levels near 70 to 120 mg/dl before meals and under 140 mg/dl at 2 hours after eating are considered in the normal range.
  
• To explain what an A1c is, think in simple terms. Sugar sticks, and when it's around for a long time, it's harder to get it off. In the body, sugar sticks too, particularly to proteins. The red blood cells that circulate in the body live for about three months before they die. When sugar sticks to these cells, it gives us an idea of how much sugar has been around for the preceding three months. In most labs, the normal range is 4-5.9 %. In poorly controlled diabetes, its 8.0% or above, and in well controlled patients it's less than 7.0%. The benefits of measuring A1c is that is gives a more reasonable view of what's happening over the course of time (3 months), and the value does not bounce as much as finger stick blood sugar measurements.
  
• To explain the normal correlation between A1c and average blood sugar levels is as follows. An A1c of 6 = a three month average blood glucose level of 135. An A1c of 7 = 170, an A1c of 8 = 205, an A1c of 9 = 240, an A1c of 10 = 275, an A1c of 11 = 301, an A1c 12 of 345.
  
• [3]
  

 Warnings

• Seek urgent medical attention if you have a fruity smell on your breath. This is a symptom of diabetic ketoacidosis that can be fatal if left untreated.
  
• It is extremely important to consult with a medical professional immediately if you are exhibiting any of these symptoms; undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (Type 1 or Type 2) can progress to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which rapidly progresses into possible organ failure or death.
  

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• How to Live With Arthritis
  
• How to Cope With Having Lupus
  

 Sources and Citations

• http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/type2_information/diagnosis/diagnosis.html
  
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/17044-3.asp
  
• http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/diabetes.htm
  
• http://www.fda.gov/diabetes/glucose.html
  
• http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/aag/ddt.htm
  
• http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/overview.jsp
  

1. ↑ http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/type2_information/diagnosis/diagnosis.html
2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus
3. ↑ http://www.medicinenet.com/hemoglobin_a1c_test/article.htm

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