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India is home to about 77 million diabetics, which is the second-highest in the world, albeit, unfortunately (source: 1). Today, the prevalence of this disease poses a major health problem for the country.
However, adequate knowledge about the illness can help you take the necessary measures to keep your health in check. After all, prevention is better than cure.
So, here is a guide on diabetes symptoms in men and women.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when one’s blood glucose (or blood sugar) is very high. Blood glucose, which comes from the food we eat, is the main source of our energy. This glucose from food gets into the cells of a body to be used as energy by a hormone called insulin.
However, sometimes the body cannot make enough – or any – of this hormone. Moreover, it may happen that one’s body produces insulin but does not use it well. Whatever the case may be, inadequate insulin leaves your body with too much glucose, which eventually leads to health complications.
There are 3 main types of diabetes, all of which are discussed below:
This type of diabetes indicates that an individual’s body produces very little to no insulin. Rather, their immune system destroys the cells in one’s pancreas, thereby stopping them from making insulin.
As a result, patients with type 1 diabetes need to take daily insulin injections to maintain their blood glucose levels. Although it can develop at any age, mostly adolescents and children show the early symptoms of sugar of this type.
Contrary to type 1 diabetes, type 2 is more common in adults. In fact, type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all cases (source: 2).
When you have this type of diabetes, your body fails to use the insulin it produces. Therefore, you will need oral drugs and/or insulin to control your blood glucose levels.
Gestational diabetes or GDM develops in some women during pregnancy. It tends to go away after a baby is born. However, women affected with GDM as well as their children have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in their life.
Diabetes is a disease that affects women and men in different ways. The reasons for this difference are the following:
That being said, both the sexes share some common symptoms of this disease. Several early diabetes symptoms in men and women act as a warning sign. Therefore, it is suggested that you keep an out for these signs to tackle the disease in its early stages.
The starting stage of diabetes symptoms for women can include the following:
In the case of men, some warning signs are similar to those for women. Therefore, men must look out for the following starting stage of sugar symptoms:
Furthermore, when talking about the early diabetes symptoms in men and women, you must also be aware of prediabetes. It is a health condition in which one’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal. However, these levels are not high enough for the individual to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. That being said, without necessary lifestyle changes, children and adults with prediabetes are extremely likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, there are no clear prediabetes symptoms in women and men. Some patients may experience conditions associated with insulin resistance, like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Others, however, may experience acanthosis nigricans, which is the development of thick, dark, and velvety patches of skin. This discolouration tends to occur around the following body parts:
Additionally, when suffering from prediabetes, patients usually experience the following:
Many diabetes symptoms in women are the same as those in men. Moreover, a few of these symptoms are similar to the early symptoms of sugar. Therefore, here are some signs that may point to diabetes:
Additionally, some signs of diabetes are unique to women. Such symptoms of diabetes in women include the following:
Similarly, a man must check for these additional symptoms of diabetes in men:
Yes, age is a factor for the onset of this disease. Type 1 diabetes sets in at any age. An individual with type 1 diabetes tends to be diagnosed with this disease before 40 years of age.
However, type 1 diabetes was earlier known as juvenile diabetes as most people affected by it were young children. A child can get type 1 diabetes as early as his/her infancy. Most often, this disease appears after the age of 5 years, occurring in kids between the age of 4 and 14 years old.
On the other hand, type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes as it rarely occurs in children. Rather, the older you are, the more likely it is that you have this disease.
Although it can occur in teenagers and preteens, type 2 diabetes usually starts to spike in one’s middle age. Therefore, individuals aged between 45 and 64 years of age are more vulnerable to this illness. Furthermore, it jumps even higher as one approaches senior years, affecting people aged 65 years or older.
As discussed earlier, there are several tell-tale diabetes symptoms in men and women. However, how can you know if your child has type 1 diabetes? Symptoms of diabetes in children and infants can set in suddenly. Therefore, you must check for the following signs in your child:
If you notice the initial symptoms of diabetes in your child or yourself, it is imperative to seek medical assistance at the earliest. Therefore, we suggest that you reach out to a doctor, so that he/she can begin treatment before the disease aggravates.
Likewise, women must undergo routine tests for gestational diabetes during the second or third trimester of their pregnancy. And, in case they show symptoms of this diabetes, they should get a diagnosis.
To diagnose one with diabetes, a doctor may prescribe a simple test to check the presence of glucose or sugar in the urine. Additionally, he/she will examine your blood glucose levels by way of a finger stick. Furthermore, in some cases, doctors may conduct a more thorough evaluation through an oral glucose tolerance test, which can show if you have type 1 diabetes.
As for treatment, doctors generally prescribe a few different medications, which include oral drugs and injections. Moreover, insulin is the main form of treatment for type 1 diabetes.
There are 4 kinds of insulin commonly used in treatment, which are differentiated based on when their effects kick in and how long they last:
As for type 2 diabetes, patients usually require oral medication alongside insulin. The following table offers a rundown on the most common types of drugs and their workings:
|
Kind of Drug |
How They Work to Treat Diabetes |
|
Thiazolidinediones |
Helps the body to properly utilise insulin |
|
Biguanides |
Reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver |
|
Sulfonylureas and Meglitinides |
Stimulates pancreas so that it releases more insulin |
|
Glucagon-like peptides |
Alters the way a body produces insulin |
|
DPP-4 inhibitors |
Improves blood sugar levels so that they do not drop too low |
|
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors |
Slows down the breakdown of starchy and sugary foods |
|
SGLT2 inhibitors |
Release a higher amount of glucose into the urine |
Gestational diabetes is usually treatable through certain lifestyle changes and routine monitoring of blood sugar. Doctors will also prescribe medication, if necessary.
Nevertheless, can you take any other steps to keep diabetes at bay?
When it comes to preventing diabetes, keeping it in check, or even reversing it, some healthy habits can go a long way. Therefore, it is advised that you incorporate the following in your lifestyle:
Yes, diabetes can lead to other diseases. In fact, the longer you have this illness, the less controlled is your blood sugar, and the graver is its complications. Eventually, diabetes-induced health complications can be disabling, even life-threatening, some of which are:
Type 1 diabetes can cause abrupt and extreme swings in blood sugar, which can be very dangerous. Therefore, if you notice any of its symptoms in your child or yourself, it is imperative to reach out to a doctor as soon as you can. This will ensure that your treatment begins right away.
Furthermore, low blood sugar can be life-threatening for children. Therefore, you must seek immediate medical assistance if you notice these signs of a low blood pressure emergency:
As for type 2 and gestational diabetes, it is best to consult a doctor as soon as the symptoms set in.
Disclaimer: The above information is only for educational purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for a professional diagnosis. We suggest that you seek medical advice from a doctor for a thorough evaluation of your health.
That brings us to the end of this guide on diabetes. We hope it offers valuable insights into the disease, its symptoms, and its treatment.
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