ELDER TIP Because their thirst mechanism functions less effectively, older adults may not report polydipsia, a hallmark of diabetes in younger adults.
In ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome, dehydration may cause hypovolemia and shock. Wasting of glucose in the urine usually produces weight loss and hunger in type 1 diabetes, even if the patient eats voraciously.
Long-term effects of diabetes may include retinopathy, nephropathy, atherosclerosis, and peripheral and autonomic neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy usually affects the hands and feet and may cause numbness or pain. Autonomic neuropathy may manifest itself in several ways, including gastroparesis (leading to delayed gastric emptying and a feeling of nausea and fullness after meals), nocturnal diarrhea, impotence, and orthostatic hypotension.
Because hyperglycemia impairs the patient’s resistance to infection, diabetes may result in skin and urinary tract infections (UTIs) and vaginitis. Glucose content of the epidermis and urine encourages bacterial growth.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Hypertension:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Hypertension usually doesn’t produce clinical effects until vascular changes in the heart, brain, or kidneys occur. Severely elevated blood pressure damages the intima of small vessels, resulting in fibrin accumulation in the vessels, development of local edema and, possibly, intravascular clotting. Symptoms produced by this process depend on the location of the damaged vessels:
❑ brain — stroke
❑ retina — blindness
❑ heart — myocardial infarction
❑ kidneys — proteinuria, edema and, eventually, renal failure.
Hypertension increases the heart’s workload, causing left ventricular hypertrophy and, later, left- and right-sided heart failure and pulmonary edema.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Pregnancy-induced hypertension:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Mild preeclampsia generally produces the following clinical effects: hypertension, proteinuria (less than 5 g/24 hours), generalized edema, and sudden weight gain of more than 3 lb (1.4 kg) per week during the second trimester or more than 1 lb (0.5 kg) a week during the third trimester.
Severe preeclampsia is marked by increased hypertension and proteinuria, eventually leading to the development of oliguria. Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (the HELLP syndrome) is a severe variant. Other symptoms that may indicate worsening preeclampsia include blurred vision due to retinal arteriolar spasms, epigastric pain or heartburn, and severe frontal headache.
In eclampsia, all the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia are magnified and are associated with seizures and, possibly, coma, premature labor, stillbirth, renal failure, and hepatic damage.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Hypertensive crisis:
Signs and Symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Hypertension, papilledema, retinal hemorrhages and exudate, severe headache, vomiting, vision disturbances, transient paralysis, seizures, stupor, coma
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Pulmonary hypertension:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Most patients complain of increasing dyspnea on exertion, weakness, syncope, and fatigability. Many also show signs of right-sided heart failure, including peripheral edema, ascites, jugular vein distention, and hepatomegaly. Other clinical effects vary with the underlying disorder.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Renovascular hypertension:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
In addition to elevated systemic blood pressure, renovascular hypertension usually produces symptoms common to hypertensive states, such as headache, palpitations, tachycardia, anxiety, light-headedness, decreased tolerance of temperature extremes, retinopathy, and mental sluggishness. Significant complications include heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke and, occasionally, renal failure.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Diabetes mellitus:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Diabetes may begin dramatically with ketoacidosis in type 1 or insidiously. Its most common symptom is fatigue, from energy deficiency and a catabolic state. However, many patients with type 2 diabetes may be asymptomatic.
Insulin deficiency or resistance causes hyperglycemia, which pulls fluid from body tissues, causing osmotic diuresis, polyuria, dehydration, polydipsia, dry mucous membranes, and poor skin turgor. In ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic state, dehydration may cause hypovolemia and shock. Wasting of glucose in the urine usually produces weight loss and hunger in uncontrolled type 1 diabetes, even if the patient eats voraciously.
Long-term effects
In diabetes, long-term effects may include retinopathy, nephropathy, atherosclerosis, and peripheral and autonomic neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy usually affects the hands and feet and may cause numbness or pain. Autonomic neuropathy may manifest itself in several ways, including gastroparesis (leading to delayed gastric emptying and a feeling of nausea and fullness after meals), nocturnal diarrhea, impotence, and postural hypotension.
Because hyperglycemia impairs the patient’s resistance to infection, diabetes may result in skin and urinary tract infections and vaginitis. Glucose content of the epidermis and urine encourages bacterial growth.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Hypertension:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Hypertension usually doesn’t produce clinical effects until vascular changes in the heart, brain, or kidneys occur. Highly elevated blood pressure damages the intima of small vessels, resulting in fibrin accumulation in the vessels, development of local edema and, possibly, intravascular clotting.
Symptoms produced by this process depend on the location of the damaged vessels:
❑ brain: stroke
❑ retina: blindness
❑ heart: MI
❑ kidneys: proteinuria, edema and, eventually, renal failure.
Hypertension increases the heart’s workload, causing left ventricular hypertrophy and, later, left- and right-sided heart failure, and pulmonary edema.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Hypertension, pregnancy-induced:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
❑ Mild preeclampsia generally produces the following signs: hypertension, proteinuria, generalized edema, and a sudden weight gain of more than 3 lb (1.4 kg) a week during the second trimester or more than 1 lb (0.5 kg) a week during the third trimester.
❑ Severe preeclampsia is marked by increased hypertension and proteinuria, which eventually lead to the development of oliguria. Hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme levels, and a low platelet count (the HELLP syndrome) is commonly severe.
Clinical tip A daughter whose mother had toxemia is at high risk for developing HELLP syndrome with a new pregnancy.
Other symptoms that indicate worsening preeclampsia include blurred vision due to retinal arteriolar spasms, epigastric pain or heartburn, irritability, emotional tension, and severe frontal headache.
❑ In eclampsia, all the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia are magnified and associated with seizures and possibly coma, premature labor, stillbirth, renal failure, and liver damage.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Pulmonary hypertension:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Most patients complain of increasing dyspnea on exertion, weakness, syncope, and fatigability. Many also show signs of right-sided heart failure, including peripheral edema, ascites, jugular vein distention, and hepato-megaly. Other clinical features vary according to the underlying disorder.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
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Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Chronic Illness:
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attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Chronic Illness.
This signs and symptoms information for Chronic Illness has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Chronic Illness signs or Chronic Illness symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Chronic Illness may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Chronic Illness symptoms.
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