Health Conditions

What are the symptoms?

Diabetes is sometimes discovered by accident in people who have no symptoms. It is important to note that many people with Type 2 Diabetes often do not have symptoms. On the other hand, some people with diabetes have a variety of symptoms. These symptoms include:

• Type 1 Diabetes
  • Frequent urination
  • Unusual, excessive thirst
  • Extreme hunger
  • Unusual weight loss
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Irritability
• Type 2 Diabetes
  • Any of the type 1 symptoms listed above
  • Frequent infections
  • Blurred vision
  • Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
  • Tingling/numbness in the hands or feet
  • Recurring skin, gum or bladder infections

• Heart disease
  • Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths.
  • Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes.
• Stroke
  • The risk of stroke is two to four times higher in people with diabetes.
• Kidney failure
  • Diabetes was the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in 2002.
  • In 2002, 44,400 people in the United States with diabetes began dialysis treatment for end-stage kidney disease.
• Blindness
  • Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20 to 74 years old.
  • There are 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of diabetes-associated blindness each year.
• Amputations
  • More then 60 percent of lower limb amputations in the United States occurred among people with diabetes.
  • In 2002, about 82,000 non-trauma related lower limb amputations were performed in people with diabetes.
• Nervous system disease
  • Approximately 60 percent to 70 percent of diabetics have some type of nervous system damage, which includes decreased sensation in feet or hands, slowed digestion in the stomach, or carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Dental disease
  • Almost one-third of people with diabetes have severe periodontal diseases with loss of attachment of the gums to the teeth measuring 5 millimeters or more.

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