The signs and symptoms of diabetes are related to hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and complications associated with diabetes. The complications can be related to lipid production, vascular and microvascular damage, organ damage - for example, kidney (diabetic nephropathy), nerve (diabetic neuropathy), and eye (diabetic retinopathy) damage - and/or to the slower healing associated with diabetes. Type 1 diabetics are often diagnosed with acute severe symptoms that require hospitalization. With pre-diabetes, early type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes, there usually are no symptoms.
Symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes with hyperglycemia:
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Increased appetite (with type 1, weight loss is also seen)
Symptoms of impending hypoglycemia: Temporary hypoglycemia in the diabetic may be caused by the accidental injection of too much insulin, not eating enough or waiting too long to eat, exercising strenuously, or by the swings in glucose levels seen with “brittle” diabetes. Hypoglycemia needs to be addressed as soon as it is noticed as it can rapidly progress to unconsciousness. Symptoms include:
This article was last reviewed on February 29, 2008.
This article was last modified on May 13, 2009.
The review date indicates when the article was last reviewed from beginning to end to ensure that it reflects the most current science. A review may not require any modifications to the article, so the two dates may not always agree.
The modified date indicates that one or more changes were made to the article. Such changes may or may not result from a full review of the article, so the two dates may not always agree.
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