Diseases 101: What are the symptoms of diabetes?

July 2, 2:10 PMHealth 101 ExaminerEthan Demby

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Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are fairly similar except for the effects on the insulin in the bloodstream.  In type 1 diabetes, the insulin producing cells are destroyed, whereas in type 2 diabetes, the cells in your body reject insulin. 

According to the article on diabetes from about.com, one main problem that is associated with diabetes is the overload of glucose in your bloodstream, and not enough in your cells.  Some side effects of diabetes are:

• Going to the bathroom too often - Because there is a large amount of glucose in the bloodstream, your kidneys are unable to refilter this high amount of glucose.  Your kidneys work harder to draw water from your blood to try to dilute the amount of glucose.
• Thirst - Because your body is pulling extra amounts of water from your blood to dilute the glucose, you may get the feeling that you thirst is unquenchable.
• Loss of weight - If you're losing pounds without even trying it is because of the extra amount of glucose in your blood and not in your cells.  Your body is looking for an energy source, but because the cells are depleted of glucose, your body will burn more muscle tissue and fat than usual.  This side effect is typical for type 1 diabetes. 
• Drowsiness and weakness - Because glucose isn't making its way into our cells, our bodies don't have a consistent energy source.  Thus, your cells become deprived of glucose, causing you to feel drowsy and weak.
• Tingling in your extremities -  This symptom is called neuropathy, which indicates nerve damage from a long period of time with excessive amounts of glucose that aren't transitioned into your cells.