Many women fail to realize that they may be suffering from prediabetes until they need to seek medical advice as a result of the symptoms. Sudden lightheadedness, urge to urinate often, and skin pigmentation, are but a few warning signs of type 1 diabetes.
The symptoms of diabetes are often misinterpreted by women, with the usual fatigue and stress they face because of their menstrual cycles and hectic lifestyle. The end result being, that while the diagnosis is delayed, the intensity of this health condition aggravates, thereby deteriorating the woman’s health further. Type 1 diabetes was once believed to affect only juveniles and young adults, though now it is rampant among adults of both sexes as well. At the 1st stage, the body produces very little of the hormone insulin, which is essential for converting foods and sugar into energy.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes in Women
Type 1 diabetes is also known as mellitus, wherein the insulin producing beta cells within the pancreas begin to malfunction or get destroyed completely. This causes the glucose levels to rise beyond normal limits while retarding the production of insulin hormone.
Frequent Urination and Thirst
Women with this condition will feel the urge to relieve themselves several times during the day and especially during the night. Therefore waking up 4-5 times during the night so as to urinate may correlate with this condition. The reason for this phenomenon is that, the kidneys are not being able to process the excessive glucose in the system, therefore they will try to dissolve the glucose with the remaining water within the body. This results in frequent urination as well as thirst, because the body tends to get dehydrated, which is why it needs more water than usual.
Weight Loss With Excessive Hunger
Diabetes when not treated, causes the body to reject the glucose present and instead causes the cells to seek energy from the stored fat. The glucose thereby mixes with the bloodstream which causes the women to feel hungry at all times. Since the body is utilizing stored fats so as to function properly, it causes the body to lose weight while increasing appetite. One of the steady signs of diabetes in women is weight loss, which can be controlled through prescribed insulin therapy.
Behavioral Changes
The onset of diabetes causes the individual to feel lazy, sleepy and tired most of the time. There is a constant urge to rest and avoid physical activities. Many women complain of finding it increasingly difficult to work at office as they cannot concentrate for too long. They experience fatigue, weakness and irritation at having to work, when instead all that they crave for is some sleep.
- Diabetes also causes the eyesight to weaken, which is why many women need to wear spectacles.
- Contact lenses do not suit many women with diabetes as they complain of eye infections and pain while wearing them. However, this case may differ from one individual to the other.
- It also increases the person’s appetite for sugary foods, which must be curbed at all costs, so as to prevent an overload of glucose in the body.
- It causes the menstrual cycles to become irregular or abnormal, wherein women may either experience their cycles earlier or later than usual, or they may experience either increased or drastically reduced blood flow during their menstruation.
- One of the symptoms of prediabetes in women is increased incidences or frequency of vaginal infections such as yeast/fungal growth or UTI. This occurs because the excess glucose causes the fungi to feed and grow on the sugar, which makes it cause infections.
- Fluid retention and increased weight gain over the abdominal region.
- Pigmentation on the nape of the neck as well as all the joints where the skin gets darker than usual as a result of excessive melanin secretion.
- Increase in facial and bodily hair.
- Wounds take longer than usual to heal.
Gestational Diabetes in Women
Diabetes often affects pregnant women who have never been diagnosed with the condition previously. Gestational diabetes causes the blood glucose levels to shoot up during pregnancy, which thereby increases the chances of both the mother as well as the child developing the condition. Diabetes symptoms during pregnancy is usually found out during a routine blood sugar test after the first trimester. Diabetes also increases the chances of a difficult delivery and the possibility that the child may have juvenile diabetes from birth.
Some of the symptoms of gestational diabetes in women are:
- Increased chances of cesarean instead of normal delivery.
- Excessive fatigue, weight loss, thirst, hunger, and frequent urination.
- The possibility of recovering from diabetes soon after the pregnancy is over.
- The possibility of giving birth to babies who weigh more than 9 pounds at birth.
- Increases chances of these babies growing up to become over weight or obese children.
- Diabetes either in the child or the mother or both post pregnancy.
This condition can be brought under control during pregnancy which can prevent the condition from affecting the unborn baby or the mother during, as well as after, the delivery.
The above mentioned symptoms of type 1 diabetes are very common and if detected earlier, can be curtailed through proper medication and changes in lifestyle. Working out is an essential requisite for all individuals suffering from diabetes. Consult your doctor so as to chalk out a proper dietary as well as exercise regimen for yourself.
