Could you be living with type 2 diabetes and not know it? The signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop over time, and many people can have the disease for years without knowing.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin. With help from insulin, the cells in the body absorb glucose, or sugar, for energy. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the blood resulting in high blood sugar.
Here are three signs you should be on the lookout for and shouldn’t ignore:
- Unusual thirst and frequent urination
- Weight loss despite an increase in appetite
- Slow-healing sores or frequent infections
Other symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, irritability and mood changes, dry, itchy skin, and areas of darkened skin.
“The symptoms of type 2 diabetes may look like other conditions or health problems,” says Lori Wang, MD, a Steward Health Care endocrinologist. “If you think you may be experiencing symptoms related to type 2 diabetes, and you are at increased risk, talk to your primary care physician.”
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:
- Age 45 or older
- A family history of diabetes
- Being overweight
- Not exercising regularly
- Race and ethnicity (African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and American Indians are more prone to develop type 2 diabetes than white Americans)
- History of gestational diabetes (pregnancy induced diabetes)
- Giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- A low HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or the “good cholesterol”)
- A high triglyceride level
- Smoking
*Source: Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org
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