Do you know how to recognize the symptoms of diabetes? Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease thought to be caused by auto-immune damage to the pancreas. The symptoms of diabetes occur when the body does not produce enough insulin or has a problem gaining access to it.

What Causes Diabetes Mellitus?

Some schools of though believe the culprit to be a virus that alters pancreatic tissue in such a way that the immune system sees it as ‘alien’. Insulin is a protein that is essential if the body is to adequately process large molecules like fats, proteins and glycogen from smaller molecules like glucose and amino acids. Insulin is also vital for the utilization of glucose in the body’s muscle cells.

If there is too little insulin in the body, the muscle protein in the body cannot be maintained and muscle wasting occurs. Body fats cannot be formed from glucose and the sugar accumulates in the blood forcing the kidneys to work extra hard at eradicating it. To do this large volumes of water are needed and the person becomes very thirsty and produces a large quantity of urine.

There are two types of Diabetes Mellitus namely:

Type 1 or Insulin-Dependency Diabetes

This type of diabetes affects 1 percent of the population. In Insulin-Dependency diabetes, the pancreas can produce little or no insulin. Type 1 diabetes requires life-long treatment and the levels of insulin in the blood must be checked constantly. Insulin is given by injection and is the only treatment for Type 1 diabetes.

The symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes include:

* Weight loss
* Excessive thirst
* Muscle wasting
* Frequent urination
* Laboratory tests reveal large amounts of sugar in the urine

Type 2 or Maturity-Onset Diabetes

This type of diabetes is most often associated with being overweight or obese. It is a condition in which the cells of the body don’t react to insulin or where the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas is not sufficient to provide entry ports for the increased tissue bulk.

Most cases of Type 2 diabetes can be cured by dieting and weight loss. When less food is consumed, less sugar is taken into the body but even more vital, the demands made on the insulin supply are drastically reduced and this relieves the condition in many cases.

Other cases may need to be treated with oral drugs that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin at least for a while.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes may be vague and the disease may be insidious and progress gradually. Symptoms may not occur at all in type 2 diabetics but may include:

* Frequent or chronic fatigue
* Frequent or insatiable thirst
* Frequent urination
* Frequent Headache
* Common cuts, boils, and blemishes that heal poorly or not at all
* Frequent, or persistent infections
* Increased appetite, reaping no benefits in terms of increased energy levels
* Unexplained weight loss

The Complications of Diabetes

If diabetes is poorly managed the complications can be very serious. The blood vessels in particular are affected and damage occurs to the eyes, the kidneys, the circulation in the legs (leading to gangrene and bedsores) and the nervous system as well as giving rise to impotence in men. Death cause by arterial disease occurs in about forty percent of diabetic men and is twice as common than is the case in men who are not diabetic.

Since the complications of diabetes are so severe, those who suffer from the condition should be aware of the importance of scrupulous management from the moment they are diagnosed.

Diabetes is a disease that if effectively controlled and managed can have very little impact on the lives of its sufferers. However, if the condition is neglected the impacts may be life-threatening so it is well worth making sure you understand the symptoms of diabetes. If you think you may have diabetes or experience any of the symptoms above consult your doctor immediately for an assessment. The symptoms of diabetes may be the early warning signal that could save your life.