Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

There are three main types of diabetes, including:

• Type 1 Diabetes -- An estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of those with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. It is considered an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body's own immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Patients with type 1 diabetes have very little or no insulin, and therefore need to take insulin everyday. Although the condition can appear at any age, onset of type 1 diabetes is most common in children and young adults, which is why it was previously called juvenile diabetes.

• Type 2 Diabetes -- Accounting for 90 percent to 95 percent of those with diabetes, type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition. It usually is diagnosed in adults over the age of 40 and 80 percent of those with type 2 diabetes are overweight. However, because of the increase of obesity in our society, type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed at younger ages and is now frequently seen in children. Initially in type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced, but the insulin cannot function properly, which leads to a condition called insulin resistance. Eventually most people with type 2 diabetes suffer from both insulin resistance and decreased insulin production.

• Gestational Diabetes -- Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. It occurs more often in African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and people with a family history of diabetes. Typically, it disappears after delivery, although the condition is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes later in life.

If you think that you have diabetes, visit your doctor immediately for a definite diagnosis. Common symptoms include the following:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme hunger
• Sudden vision changes
• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
• Feeling very tired much of the time
• Very dry skin
• Sores that are slow to heal
• More infections than usual

It is important to note that some people may only experience a few symptoms that are listed above. An estimated 50 percent of people with type 2 diabetes do not experience any symptoms and therefore do not know they have the disease.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007