What Else Do I Need To Know
- Its important to do the best you can to keep your body healthy and your blood sugar under control. For young people, this can be a challenge. The changes in your hormones at puberty can sometimes make it hard to keep your blood sugar under tight control and this can be frustrating. It can also feel frustrating to have to think so much about food and your blood sugar while most other people your age dont have to worry about it.
- If youre feeling overwhelmed, there are resources available to help you cope with your diabetes. It might help you to talk with someone who understands what youre going through. Your health care provider or your parents can help you find a counselor or support group in your community.
- Remember that staying healthy includes avoiding smoking and alcohol. This is important for all teens, but especially for teens with diabetes. Smoking can cause serious damage to your circulation, and drinking alcohol can lead to dangerously low blood sugar.
Youre Suddenly Peeing A Lot
When you have excess sugar circulating through your bloodstream, your body instinctively attempts to get rid of it. How? Through urine, of course! If you notice that youre suddenly passing out large volumes of urine, and more often, for no real reason especially if youre waking up more than once during the night to go, its time to schedule a visit to your doctor.
Your Wounds Take Forever To Heal
Once you have an injury, such as a cut or bruise, uncontrolled diabetes can make it harder for you to heal. Thats because the elevated blood glucose levels provide a fantastic environment for bacteria to grow. Also, chronic health conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol tend to accompany diabetes the resulting plaque buildup can narrow blood vessels, thereby reducing blood supply and lead to slow healing. Thats not all, either. Diabetes can also weaken your bodys defense against infection by weakening the T-cells that make up your immune system, prolonging the time required for your body to heal your wounds.
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Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes Onset In An Infant Or Child
The young child who is urinating frequently, drinking large quantities, losing weight, and becoming more and more tired and ill is the classic picture of a child with new-onset type 1 diabetes. If a child who is potty-trained and dry at night starts having accidents and wetting the bed again, diabetes might be the culprit.
Although it is easy to make the diagnosis diabetes in a child by checking blood sugar at the doctors office or emergency room, the tricky part is recognizing the symptoms and knowing to take the child to get checked. Raising the awareness that young children, including infants, can get type 1 diabetes can help parents know when to check for type 1 diabetes.
Sometimes children can be in diabetic ketoacidosis when they are diagnosed with diabetes. When there is a lack of insulin in the body, the body can build up high levels of an acid called ketones. DKA is a medical emergency that usually requires hospitalization and immediate care with insulin and IV fluids. After diagnosis and early in treatment, some children may go through a phase where they seem to be making enough insulin again. This is commonly called the honeymoon phase. It may seem like diabetes has been cured, but over time they will require appropriate doses of insulin to keep their blood sugar levels in the normal range.
What Are The Symptoms Of Type I Diabetes
2016RISKSUMMIT.ORG” alt=”Signs of diabetes in men > 2016RISKSUMMIT.ORG”> Some symptoms of diabetes are:
- Being extremely thirsty
- Having to urinate often
- Losing weight
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Feeling very tired
Many teens with Type II diabetes have no symptoms, which is why if you are overweight and at risk for diabetes, your health care provider will do lab tests to screen for diabetes every couple of years.
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Diabetes In Men Signs & Symptoms You Should Never Neglect
Yes, I got it under control. This is a statement every man wants to say. While it is great to lead and take control of a situation, men around the world are guilty of not taking help when it is needed. This is quite true in the case of men with chronic illnesses like hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and type 1 diabetes.
A WHO report suggests that even though men enjoybetter opportunities, their life expectancy is lesser when compared to women.Here are a few reasons why men have poor health outcomes:
- Men are less likely to visit a doctortill they have serious symptoms
- They are also less likely to reporttheir symptoms to the doctor
- It is known that men are less likely tobe active in their preventive care regimen
Occupational exposure, working in hazardousconditions and leading erratic lifestyles are also important contributors topoor health outcomes in men. However, neglecting symptoms, not taking activepart in treatment and preventive care are major reasons for poor lifeexpectancy.
When it comes to diabetes in men, it is importantto identify symptoms early on so that many serious complications can beavoided.
You Notice Tingling And Numbness In Your Hands Or Feet
As mentioned, uncontrolled blood sugar can cause nerve damage, also known as diabetic neuropathy. What you may notice is a tingling sensation or even numbness in your hands and feet. Some people experience pain in their hands and feet as well. Though neuropathy is most common in people who have had diabetes for a long time, it can occur in anyone with poorly controlled diabetes.
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What Can I Do
Speaking to a doctor about sexual and reproductive health problems is particularly important if you have diabetes. You can talk with your doctor about lifestyle changes or other ways to control your blood sugar levels. Your doctor might refer you to a specialist or sexual therapist if its suitable for you.
Extremely Dry Itchy Skin
Dry, itchy skin
If you have diabetes, youre more likely to have dry skin. High blood sugar can cause this. If you have a skin infection or poor circulation, these could also contribute to dry, itchy skin.
Take action
- Tell your doctor about your extremely dry skin. Gaining better control of diabetes can reduce dryness.
- If you continue to have dry skin after you gain better control of your diabetes, a dermatologist can help.
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Diabetes And Prostate Health
Diabetes can affect prostate health in men. Research shows that men with Type 2 diabetes have lower risk of developing prostate cancer, but when it occurs, the mortality rate is higher. Additionally, elevated blood glucose levels are associated with prostate enlargement. Men with diabetes were over twice as likely to have an enlarged prostate than those without.
How Is Diabetes Treated
A diabetes diagnosis isn’t the end of the world. In some cases, lifestyle changes can keep the disease entirely under control. Still, many people with diabetes need to take oral medications that lower blood sugar levels. When these aren’t enough to do the job, insulin may be necessary, sometimes along with oral drugs. Several new drugs that work with insulin to improve blood sugar management have been approved by the FDA.
While treatment has improved, controlling diabetes remains a challenge, which is why experts focus on prevention.
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Diabetes Sign: Youre Crazy Thirsty
Peeing more often means that your body is getting rid of more water than usual, which puts you at risk for dehydration, says Dr. Furhman.
That can leave you feeling thirsty and cotton-mouthed, even if it seems like youre drinking the same amount of water as always. Plus, since youre drinking more, that will also make you pee more, too.
You Have Noticeably Blurry Vision And Frequent Headaches
You may notice that your vision isnt as clear as it used to be and that things may appear a bit blurry. High blood sugar levels can lead to swollen lenses in your eye from fluid leaking in, according to the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. This changes the shape of the lens, which makes it unable to properly focus, causing blurred vision. You may also find yourself struggling at work, having difficulty driving, and suffering from frequent headaches, Emanuele notes.
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Excessive Thirst Is One Of The Classic Early Signs Of Diabetes
Drinking unusually large amounts of fluids throughout the day and even overnight is a glaring symptom.
Intake can be something like 4 litres or more per day. You can even start to feel thirsty immediately after youve just had a drink.
The more you drink, the more you urinate, which feeds back into the excessive urination cycle.
Why does this happen?: This is the bodys response to increased urination. With all that extra fluid loss, you become very dry and thirsty.
Yellow Reddish Or Brown Patches On Your Skin
Necrobiosis Lipoidica
This skin condition often begins as small raised solid bumps that look like pimples. As it progresses, these bumps turn into patches of swollen and hard skin. The patches can be yellow, reddish, or brown.
You may also notice:
- The surrounding skin has a shiny porcelain-like appearance
- You can see blood vessels
- The skin is itchy and painful
- The skin disease goes through cycles where it is active, inactive, and then active again
necrobiosis lipodica.
Take action
- Get tested for diabetes, if you have not been diagnosed.
- Work with your doctor to better control your diabetes.
- See a dermatologist about your skin. Necorbiosis lipodica is harmless, but it can lead to complications.
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Youre Hungrier Than Usual But Losing Weight
Many people with uncontrolled high blood sugar find that theyre hungrier than usual, which signals a symptom called polyphagia, MedlinePlus notes. And although youre eating more, you may be losing weight for no apparent reason if your blood sugar levels are too high, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Since your body is not getting energy from the preferred source, glucose, it has to turn to muscle and fat, Zanini explains. When your body starts breaking down muscle and fat for energy, you experience unintentional and unhealthy weight loss. In addition to these changes in weight and appetite, you may notice weakness in your muscles and experience more frequent falls, Emanuele adds.
Early Signs Of Diabetes In Men
Typically, the signs of type 1 diabetes in men are the same as the signs of type 2 diabetes in men only, while the symptoms associated with type 1 come on suddenly , type 2 can take years to present its signs. So how do you know when your body is warning you that it might be time to head to your doctors office for a test? Here are 12 early signs of diabetes to note:
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Erectile Dysfunction Is A Common Symptom Of Diabetes In Men
is the inability to have or maintain an erection.
Men with diabetes are at a greater risk in fact, 20 to 75% experience ED.
Its also been recognized by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases as an early marker of diabetes in younger men, particularly those 45 years and younger.
If you experience ED, especially at a younger age, diabetes may be the cause.
Of course, its not always the reason. ED can be the result of many other factors, such as high blood pressure, stress and kidney disease, as well as simply performance anxiety.
Why does this happen?: Small blood vessels and nerves to the genitals act automatically to increase blood flow and relax smooth muscle. If the blood vessels and nerves are damaged due to high blood sugar, it can cause erectile dysfunction.
You Get Enough Sleep But Youre Still So Tired
Carbohydrates, which your body breaks down into the glucose that circulates in your bloodstream, are your primary source of energy. But when you have diabetes, your body cant effectively make use of that fuel to help you power through the day. If youve been clocking more than 7 hours of sleep a night, yet still feel exhausted and experience some of the other diabetes symptoms mentioned in this article, its worth getting your extreme fatigue checked out.
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Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes
These tend to show up after your glucose has been high for a long time.
- Yeast infections. Both men and women with diabetes can get these. Yeast feeds on glucose, so having plenty around makes it thrive. Infections can grow in any warm, moist fold of skin, including:
- Between fingers and toes
- Under breasts
- In or around sex organs
How To Prevent Hyperglycaemia
There are simple ways to reduce your risk of severe or prolonged hyperglycaemia:
- Be careful what you eat be particularly aware of how snacking and eating sugary foods or carbohydrates can affect your blood sugar level.
- Stick to your treatment plan remember to take your insulin or other diabetes medications as recommended by your care team.
- Be as active as possible getting regular exercise can help stop your blood sugar level rising, but you should check with your doctor first if you’re taking diabetes medication, as some medicines can lead to hypoglycaemia if you exercise too much
- Take extra care when you’re ill your care team can provide you with some “sick day rules” that outline what you can do to keep your blood sugar level under control during an illness.
- Monitor your blood sugar level your care team may suggest using a device to check your level at home, so you can spot an increase early and take steps to stop it.
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When To Call Your Doctor
If you’re older than 45 or have other risks for diabetes, it’s important to get tested. When you spot the condition early, you can avoid nerve damage, heart trouble, and other complications.
As a general rule, call your doctor if you:
- Feel sick to your stomach, weak, and very thirsty
- Are peeing a lot
- Have a bad belly ache
- Are breathing more deeply and faster than normal
- Have sweet breath that smells like nail polish remover
Show Sources
Cleveland Clinic: “Diabetes: Frequently Asked Questions” and “What Is Diabetes?”à ââ¬ÅDiabetes: Preventing Complications,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅHyperglycemia .ââ¬ï¿½
University of Michigan Health System: “Type 1 Diabetes.”
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: “Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes.”
Baylor Scott & White Healthcare: “Urinary Frequency” and “Diabetes and Diabetic Neuropathy Hard-to-Heal Wounds.”
Sutter Health: “Question & Answer: Is Sudden Weight Loss a Sign of Diabetes? If So, Why?”
Neithercott, T. Diabetes Forecast, August 2013.
University of Rochester Medical Center: “Diabetic Skin Troubles.”
Joslin Diabetes Center: “Diseases of the Eye” and “Diabetic Neuropathy: What You Need to Know.”
The Nemours Foundation: “When Blood Sugar Is Too High.”
Virginia Mason Medical Center: “Complications.”
Carolinas Health System: “Diabetes: Yeast Infections and Diabetes: What You Should Know.”
Geisinger Health: ââ¬Å3 reasons diabetic wounds are slow to heal.ââ¬ï¿½
Preventing Diabetes Symptoms In Men
Quitting or reducing daily smoking, engaging in some amount of daily physical activity, maintaining a well-balanced diet and keeping a check on your weight are good measures to prevent the onset of diabetes. Keeping a constant check on your blood glucose level also helps in keeping diabetes levels in control.
If you have a family history of diabetes and already have been diagnosed with borderline diabetes, certain changes in lifestyle can benefit your physical and mental well-being while also keeping your diabetes in check. Balancing your meals by putting in enough protein, vitamins and leafy vegetables will improve your bodily health. An even mixture of starch, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and protein comprises a good, balanced and well-made meal.
Avoiding excess sugar, like carbonated drinks, fizzy sugary juices, sodas, candies and sweets is the key to keeping your diabetes level low. You can indulge in one or two sugary treats once in a while, however, consuming them in moderation is important.
Also Read: 12 Symptoms of Diabetes in Women
Disclaimer: The information included at this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the readers situation.
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Do These Symptoms Of Diabetes In Men Sound Familiar
Though most signs and symptoms are the same for males and females, some are unique to men.
Talking about these symptoms with your doctor is essential. They can test your HbA1c levels to determine if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Fortunately, many of these symptoms of diabetes can be reversed with a suitable diet that includes diabetic-friendly foods.
An early diagnosis means you can quickly take control of your diabetes before it has profound long-term consequences on your health.
About Joe Leech, Dietitian
Joe Leech is a university-qualified dietitian from Australia.
He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in exercise science, followed by a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2011.
Learn more about him on the About page.
Joe Leech, Dietitian
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