Diabetesmellitus is a group of metabolic diseases that occurs when your blood glucose, or “sugar”, is too high (hyperglycemia). Blood glucose is found in your blood and is the primary source of energy in the human body. In healthy people, the body uses insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, to uptake glucose into the body’s cells. There are two major forms of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. With type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin and the cause is usually genetic. In type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin but the gates that open up and allow glucose into the cells are defective. Persistently high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels and prevent blood flow to organs and tissues. High blood sugar levels over time reduce energy and nutrients into your body’s cells and damage delicate organ tissue. Severe complications of diabetes are stroke, heart disease, kidney damage, blindness, and limb amputations due to poor circulation and nerve damage. Diabetes, especially type 2, is one of the leading causes of death in the world and the number of new cases is growing exponentially worldwide.
The three most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes are the need to urinate often, feeling extremely thirsty, and increased hunger. Symptoms vary for each individual and include:
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Extreme hunger
- Chronic fatigue
- Weight loss (sudden or unexplained)
- Irritability
- Blurred vision
- Sores or wounds that heal slowly
- Dry, itchy skin
- Frequent infections (i.e., skin, gum, and vaginal)
- Fruity-smelling breath or urine
- Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet