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Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes
Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Type 2 diabetes includes the 63 symptoms listed below:
- No early symptoms - many people have Type 2 diabetes without knowing it
- Early mild symptoms - from moderate blood sugars (which are still dangerous and lead to serious complications):
- Skin rashes
- Skin infections
- Athlete's foot
- Poor skin healing
- Urinary tract infections
- Candida
- Thrush
- Dry itchy skin
- Flaky skin
- Skin ulcers
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Paresthesias
- Foot tingling
- Foot numbness
- Hand tingling
- Hand numbness
- Blurred vision
- Sexual problems
- Erectile failure
- Unusual vaginal dryness
- Premature menopause
- Absent periods
- Poor healing - any type of difficulty healing of minor infections, injury or after surgery.
- Weight loss
- Weight gain
- Drowsiness
- Malaise
- Later more extreme symptoms when blood sugars get higher:
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive urination
- Dehydration
- Bed wetting - in children
- Excessive hunger
- Tiredness
- Weight loss
- Severe blurred vision
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Tiredness
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Acne - often worsens from diabetes and improves once sugars controlled
- Sexual problems
- Absent menstrual periods
- Persistent fungal skin infections
- Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS) - a very severe life-threatening complication of high blood sugars
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) - a very severe life-threatening complication of high blood sugars, requiring emergency treatment, which has very severe symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sweet-smelling fruity acetone breath
- Breathing difficulty
- Rapid Pulse
- Abdominal pain - usually in children
- See also symptoms of diabetes
- more information...»
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes:
- Overview -- Type 2 diabetes
- Diagnostic Tests for Type 2 diabetes
- Home Diagnostic Testing
- Complications -- Type 2 diabetes
- Doctors & Specialists
- Misdiagnosis and Alternative Diagnoses
- Hidden Causes of Type 2 diabetes
- Other Causes -- causes of these or similar symptoms
Type 2 diabetes: Complications
Review medical complications possibly associated with Type 2 diabetes:
- Short-term complications
- Hypoglycemia - does not occur from diabetes itself but from the treatments for diabetes (pills or insulin).
- Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS) - a dangerous syndrome from high blood sugars; typically in Type 2 diabetics at diagnosis or non-compliant to treatment.
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) - a dangerous condition due to high blood sugars; typically in Type 1 diabetics at diagnosis or non-compliant to treatment.
- Diabetic lens - vision distortions from high blood sugars; usually reverses when sugars controlled.
- Hyperinsulemia - insulin in the blood rises due to insulin resistance.
- Kidney complications (see Kidney symptoms)
- more complications...»
Diagnostic Testing
Diagnostic testing of medical conditions related to Type 2 diabetes:
- Urine sugar test
- Blood glucose test
- Fasting plasma glucose (FPG)
- Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
- See also tests for diabetes
- more tests...»
Research More About Type 2 diabetes
Do I have Type 2 diabetes?
- Type 2 diabetes: Introduction
- Type 2 diabetes: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
- Home Diagnostic Testing
- Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Type 2 diabetes
- Failure to Diagnose Type 2 diabetes
- Hidden Causes of Type 2 diabetes
- Treatments for Type 2 diabetes
- More about Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes: Medical Mistakes
- Obesity -- Health Mistakes
- Diabetes -- Health Mistakes
- Hypertension -- Health Mistakes
- Cholesterol -- Health Mistakes
- Metabolic Syndrome -- Health Mistakes
- Women's Health Mistakes:
- more mistakes...»
Type 2 diabetes: Undiagnosed Conditions
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
- Chronic Major Diseases that are commonly Undiagnosed:
- more undiagnosed conditions...»
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical tests related to Type 2 diabetes:
- High Cholesterol: Home Testing:
- High Blood Pressure: Home Testing
- Heart Health: Home Testing:
- Thyroid: Home Testing:
- Menopause: Related Home Testing:
- Vaginal Health: Home Testing:
- Diet & Weight Loss: Home Testing:
- Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
- Breast Cancer: Related Home Tests:
- Kidney Health: Home Testing:
- Diabetes: Related Home Testing:
- more home tests...»
Wrongly Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Type 2 diabetes includes:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Gestational diabetes
- Impaired glucose tolerance
- MODY diabetes
- Diabetes insipidus
- more diagnoses...»
See the full list of 26 alternative diagnoses for Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes: Research Doctors & Specialists
- Diabetes & Endocrinology Specialists:
- Cholesterol Specialists:
- Cardiac (Heart) Specialists:
- Pregnancy & Fertility Health Specialists:
- Womens Health Specialists:
- more specialists...»
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
More about symptoms of Type 2 diabetes:
More information about symptoms of Type 2 diabetes and related conditions:
- Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
- Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes
- Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Type 2 diabetes
- Underlying causes of Type 2 diabetes
- Associated conditions for Type 2 diabetes
- Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
- Abdominal pain - see all causes of Abdominal pain
- Absent menstrual periods - see all causes of Amenorrhea
- Absent periods - see all causes of Amenorrhea
- Acne - see all causes of Acne
- Athlete's foot - see all causes of Athlete's foot
- Athlete's foot - see all causes of Athlete's foot
- Bed wetting - see all causes of Enuresis
- Blurred vision - see all causes of Blurred vision
- Breathing difficulty - see all causes of Breathing difficulties
- Candida - see all causes of Candida
- Dehydration - see all causes of Dehydration
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) - see all causes of Diabetes-like symptoms
- Drowsiness - see all causes of Drowsiness
- Dry itchy skin - see all causes of Itching skin
- Early mild symptoms - see all causes of Vague symptoms
- Erectile failure - see all causes of Impotence
- Erectile failure - see all causes of Impotence
- Excessive hunger - see all causes of Excessive hunger
- Excessive thirst - see all causes of Thirst
- Excessive urination - see all causes of Polyuria
- Fatigue - see all causes of Fatigue
- Flaky skin - see all causes of Flaky skin
- Foot numbness - see all causes of Foot numbness
- Foot tingling - see all causes of Foot paresthesia
- Hand numbness - see all causes of Hand numbness
- Hand tingling - see all causes of Hand paresthesia
- Headaches - see all causes of Headache
- Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS) - see all causes of Diabetes-like symptoms
- Irritability - see all causes of Irritability
- Malaise - see all causes of Malaise
- Muscle aches - see all causes of Muscle aches
- Muscle cramps - see all causes of Muscle cramps
- Muscle weakness - see all causes of Muscle weakness
- Nausea - see all causes of Nausea
- No early symptoms - see all causes of No symptoms
- Paresthesias - see all causes of Paresthesias
- Peripheral neuropathy - see all causes of Peripheral neuropathy
- Persistent fungal skin infections - see all causes of Fungal symptoms
- Poor healing - see all causes of Poor healing
- Poor skin healing - see all causes of Healing symptoms
- Premature menopause - see all causes of Menopause
- Rapid Pulse - see all causes of Rapid heart beat
- Severe blurred vision - see all causes of Blurred vision
- Sexual problems - see all causes of Sexual symptoms
- Sexual problems - see all causes of Sexual symptoms
- Skin infections - see all causes of Skin infections
- Skin rashes - see all causes of Rash
- Skin ulcers - see all causes of Sores
- Sweet-smelling fruity acetone breath - see all causes of Breath odor
- Thrush - see all causes of Thrush
- Thrush (Candida) - see all causes of Candida
- Tinea - see all causes of Tinea
- Tiredness - see all causes of Tiredness
- Tiredness - see all causes of Tiredness
- Unusual vaginal dryness - see all causes of Vaginal dryness
- Unusual vaginal dryness - see all causes of Vaginal dryness
- Urinary tract infections - see all causes of Urinary tract infection
- Vomiting - see all causes of Vomiting
- Weight gain - see all causes of Weight gain
- Weight loss - see all causes of Weight loss
- Weight loss - see all causes of Weight loss
Medical Books Online about Type 2 diabetes
Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Type 2 diabetes are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Type 2 diabetes.
- "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
- [ read ]
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics" (2006)
- [ read ]
- "Avoiding Common Pediatric Errors" (2008)
- [ read ]
- "Avoiding Common Pediatric Errors" (2008)
- [ read ]
- "Avoiding Common Pediatric Errors" (2008)
- [ read ]
- "Avoiding Common Pediatric Errors" (2008)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Patient Surveys for Type 2 diabetes
- Patient Profile Survey
Take Survey View Results - Survey about the symptoms of your Type 2 diabetes
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Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes insipidus:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The patient’s history typically shows an abrupt onset of extreme polyuria (usually 4 to 16 L/day of dilute urine but sometimes as much as 30 L/day). As a result, the patient is extremely thirsty and drinks great quantities of water to compensate for the body’s water loss. This disorder may also result in nocturia. In severe cases, it may lead to extreme fatigue from inadequate rest caused by frequent voiding and excessive thirst.
Other characteristic features of diabetes insipidus include signs and symptoms of dehydration (poor tissue turgor, dry mucous membranes, constipation, muscle weakness, dizziness, and hypotension). These symptoms usually begin abruptly, commonly appearing within 1 to 2 days after a basal skull fracture, a stroke, or surgery. Relieving cerebral edema or increased intracranial pressure may cause all of these symptoms to subside just as rapidly as they began.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Diabetes mellitus:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Diabetes may begin dramatically with ketoacidosis or insidiously. Its most common symptom is fatigue from energy deficiency and a catabolic state. Insulin deficiency causes hyperglycemia, which pulls fluid from body tissues, causing osmotic diuresis, polyuria, dehydration, polydipsia, dry mucous membranes, poor skin turgor and, in most patients, unexplained weight loss.
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.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Indications for diagnostic screening for maternal diabetes mellitus during pregnancy include obesity, excessive weight gain, excessive hunger or thirst, polyuria, recurrent monilial infections, glycosuria, previous delivery of a large neonate, polyhydramnios, maternal hypertension, and a family history of diabetes.
Uncontrolled diabetes in a pregnant female can cause stillbirth, fetal anomalies, premature delivery, and birth of a neonate who’s large or small for gestational age. Such neonates are predisposed to severe episodes of hypoglycemia shortly after birth and may also develop hypocalcemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and respiratory distress syndrome.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Acetone breath, Kussmaul’s respirations, dehydration, weak and thready pulse, nausea, vomiting, altered level of consciousness, dry mucous membranes, serum glucose level of 300 to 1,500 mg/dl
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Typically, clinical features of hereditary fructose intolerance appear shortly after dietary introduction of foods containing fructose or sucrose. Symptoms are more severe in infants than in older people and include hypoglycemia, nausea, vomiting, pallor, excessive sweating, cyanosis, and tremor. In neonates and young children, continuous ingestion of foods containing fructose may result in failure to thrive, hypoglycemia, jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, ascites, hepatomegaly, vomiting, dehydration, hypophosphatemia, albuminuria, aminoaciduria, seizures, coma, febrile episodes, substernal pain, and anemia.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The patient’s history typically shows an abrupt onset of extreme polyuria (usually 4 to 16 L/day of dilute urine, but sometimes as much as 30 L/day). As a result, the patient is extremely thirsty and drinks great quantities of water to compensate for the body’s water loss. This disorder may also result in hourly nocturia.
If the patient is unable to obtain adequate quantities of water, features of diabetes insipidus include signs and symptoms of dehydration (poor tissue turgor, dry mucous membranes, constipation, muscle weakness, dizziness, and hypotension). Polyuria usually begins abruptly, commonly appearing within 1 to 2 days after a basal skull fracture, a stroke, or surgery.
Relieving cerebral edema or increased intracranial pressure may cause all of these symptoms to subside just as rapidly as they began.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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.
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.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
All women should receive diagnostic screening for maternal diabetes mellitus during pregnancy. Women at higher risk or with a history of gestational diabetes, fetal or birth problems, may warrant early screening in the second trimester using a formal glucose tolerance test.
Uncontrolled diabetes in a pregnant woman can cause stillbirth, fetal anomalies, premature delivery, and birth of an infant who is large or small for gestational age. Such infants are predisposed to severe episodes of hypoglycemia shortly after birth. These infants may also develop hypocalcemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and respiratory distress syndrome.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. They are not as
sudden in onset as in type 1 diabetes. Some people have no symptoms.
Symptoms may include fatigue or nausea, frequent urination, unusual
thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing
of wounds or sores. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes Overview: NIDDK)
Many people have no signs or symptoms. Symptoms can also be so mild
that you might not even notice them. Five million people in the United
States have type 2 diabetes and do not know it. Here is what to look
for:
Sometimes people have symptoms but do not suspect diabetes. They delay
scheduling a checkup because they do not feel sick. Many people do not
find out they have the disease until they have diabetes complications,
such as blurry vision or heart trouble. It is important to find out early
if you have diabetes because treatment can prevent damage to the body from
diabetes. (Source: excerpt from Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: NIDDK)
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually and are not as
noticeable as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms include feeling tired or ill,
frequent urination (especially at night), unusual thirst, weight loss,
blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing of sores. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes: NWHIC)
People with type 2 diabetes often do not have symptoms, but you might
have one or more of these signs:
being very thirsty
urinating often
feeling very hungry or tired
losing weight without trying
having sores that are slow to heal
having dry, itchy skin
having tingling or numbness in the feet or hands
having blurred vision. Some people with diabetes feel "run down" or have symptoms that
may go unrecognized. Others have symptoms such as feeling thirsty,
urinating frequently, losing weight, feeling tired, having blurred
vision, getting skin infections, and having slow healing cuts and
bruises. These problems should be reported to a doctor right
away. (Source: excerpt from Dealing With Diabetes - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)
When considering symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, it is also important to consider Type 2 diabetes as a possible cause of other medical conditions.
The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Type 2 diabetes may cause:
Diabetic complications during pregnancy:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Diabetic ketoacidosis:
Signs and Symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Hereditary fructose intolerance:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Diabetes insipidus:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Diabetes mellitus:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Long-term effects
Diabetic complications during pregnancy:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes:
Diabetes Overview: NIDDK (Excerpt)
Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: NIDDK (Excerpt)
Diabetes: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Diabetes: NWHIC (Excerpt)
(Source: excerpt from Diabetes: NWHIC)
Dealing With Diabetes - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)
Type 2 diabetes as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
- Diagnostic Testing for a Diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes
- Research Alternative Diagnoses for Type 2 diabetes
- More about Type 2 diabetes
- Online Diagnosis
- Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
- Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Lesser known silent killer diseases
- Books on signs and symptoms
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes:
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. This signs and symptoms information for Type 2 diabetes has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Type 2 diabetes signs or Type 2 diabetes symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes 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 Type 2 diabetes symptoms.
» Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Type 2 diabetes
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