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Diabetes Symptoms

Not everyone with type 2 diabetes has symptoms, particularly in the early stages of the disease. In fact, 5.7 million of the 23.6 million people with diabetes are unaware that they even have the disease. Of those, 90 to 95% are those with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes symptoms may include one or more of the following:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Extreme hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue, or a feeling of being "run down" and tired
• Rapid breathing
• Blurred vision
• Dry, itchy skin
• Headache
• Tingling or burning pain in the feet, legs, hands, or other parts of the body
• High blood pressure
• Mood swings
• Irritability, depression
• Frequent or recurring infections, such as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and skin infections
• Slow healing of cuts and bruises

Unlike type 1 diabetes, which frequently has a sudden onset of symptoms and reaches a crisis point before diagnosis is made, the signs of type 2 diabetes may be gradual and more insidious. Often, the first symptoms that people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes experience are those from complications of the disease, such as blurry vision (retinopathy) or foot pain (neuropathy).

If you're experiencing any of the type 2 diabetes symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately for medical evaluation.

SOURCE:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Fact Sheet. (PDF accessed 6/24/08).

Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 4/08