What are the symptoms?
The classic symptoms of type 1 diabetes are as follows: fatigue, frequent and excessive urination, increased thirst, increased appetite and unexplained weight loss. Other less common symptoms may include: blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, dry mouth and nausea. The onset of the disease may be sudden and progress rather rapidly.
Many patients with type 2 diabetes experience no symptoms at all or just don’t notice them since they develop gradually. Classic symptoms are similar to type 1: fatigue, frequent and excessive urination, increased thirst and increased appetite. But with the exception of weight loss, as type 2 is associated with excessive body weight and obesity. Other symptoms include the following: blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the feet, dry mouth, and frequent yeast infections both in men and in women.
Now let’s have a closer look at all the clinical signs separately.
Frequent and excessive urination or polyuria
Polyuria is one of the first signs of diabetes. The term is used when the daily volume of urine exceeds 3 liters. Normal urine output is approximately 1-2 liters per day. This symptom is a consequence of osmotic diuresis, a process when the presence of a high amount of glucose in the blood causes the kidneys to work harder in order to get rid of glucose. As a result, the body loses an excessive quantity of water during urination, which it tries to compensate for by triggering intense thirst. The characteristic feature of polyuria as a symptom of diabetes is that excessive urination occurs both throughout the day and during the night. Left untreated, this seemingly harmless symptom may lead to severe dehydration and negatively affect kidney function.
