Symptoms of Diabetes

From now onwards whenever and wherever the word ‘Diabetes’ is used, it will mean ‘Diabetes Mellitus (D.M) and it will also stand equally well for Glycosuria and ‘Diabetes Insipidus’ because symptoms, in the latter two disorders, will also be noticed is Diabetes Mellitus. It would be more correct and precise if we say that Diabetes (or true Diabetes) should mean to convey presence of sugar in blood and urine, along with undermentioned symptoms:-


SYMPTOMS


1. Excessive Thirst: The patient consumes large quantity of water, quite often and in short pauses.

2. Excessive urination: Patient goes to closet again and again, passes large amount of urine. Gets up frequently, at night to vacate bladder, and passes large quantities of water.

3. Excessive Hunger: Patient has a voracious hunger. He becomes a greedy later, if not a glutten, He eats too often and too much but, inspite of excessive eating, he feels hungry and demands food every now the then.


4. Getting Fatigued: He gets tired easily even after exerting a little and also gets out of breath.

5. Loss of Weight: Inspite of consuming large quantity of food and other eatables, he feels like taking food again and again but, despite all this, he continues to lose weight.

6. Pruritus: Pruritus in intense itching of skin. But, in diabetes, there is pruritus on and around genitals and the patient, in his eagerness to gain relief, goes on scratching until there is bleeding from his skin.

7. Eye Problems: His vision becomes opaque and hazy, his retina is adversely affected. The cataract has an earlier onset. His sight is masked, weak and fatigued. Neglect may lead to even total blindness.

8. Neuropathy: It is symptom which is characterized by weak and numb nerve-power. He often says that his calves and legs are weak and senseless, his thinking power has been adversely affected, his organs are not strong enough to carry the weight of his body.

9. Pain in Body: He often complains of pains all over the body, especially in legs.

10. Malaise: Patient remains gloomy, inert and runs away or shuns to do any labour. He is often in a state of run-down of body. Not only his body but his mood also shows a depressed state. And mentally also he remains in a ‘what to do’, ‘what next’ or ‘nothing to do’ mental framework. He becomes a schizophrenic embodiment.

11. Skin Infection: pimples, scratches, rough skin, dry skin, unhealthy skin are the usual symptoms.

12. Late Healing of wounds: This a common complaint on diabetics that their wounds do not heal quickly. In fact, diabetics develop low reactive power which fails to control infections, with the result the even small and ordinary infection-based or other wounds and injuries refuse to show any declining trend. The diabetics are warned to keep their feet well protected from injuries, burns, contusions, and other such maladies. If there is bleeding they must attend to the same, to have the bleeding stopped forthwith.

13. Sexual Apathy or Sexual Excitement: Male patients either lose their urge to perform sex acts or become repugnant to sex matters. Conversely, some of the patients get easily excited and yearn for satiation of their sexual desires.

14. Phimosis: It is common complaint with diabetic males whose prepuces get constricted and thus, can’t be drawn up the glans-penis. When the foreskin cannot be drawn back, after having been once drawn up, it is called ‘Para-Phimosis.’ If Phimosis be a complication of infancy stage, then it is of congenital origin and diabetes will further compound the already existing problem.

15. Diabetic Gangrene and infection of Toes: In diabetes any foot injury can assume highly serious form, if not treated properly and timely. If any injuries fail to heal then decay of the affected part may occur, which may result into cutting or amputation of toe or any other gangrenous or infected part.

16. Diabetic Coma: it may be cause either due to absence or lack of sugar in the body. We will discuss it, in details at some other place in this book.

The above mentioned symptoms are predominant, out of some of the many symptoms. It is not that all the patients may have all the aforesaid symptoms. Many my have all, some most of the said symptoms, while others may be having only a very few of them.