Diabetes Symptoms in Women

As diabetes has become a common health problem among women across the world, knowing about diabetes symptoms in women has become very important. This article will give you complete information on the symptoms that occur in women affected by diabetes.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is caused due to high level of glucose in the blood. Though both men and women can be affected by this disease, the rate of diabetic women has increased considerably in recent years. Moreover, it is said that women are more at risk of being affected by health problems caused by diabetes than men. Hence, we will focus on knowing the symptoms of diabetes in women. Nevertheless, before we go into the details of diabetes symptoms in women, let us try to know more about diabetes mellitus i.e. about its types as well as causes.

Types of Diabetes

Diabetes can be mainly classified into two types which include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The former i.e., type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile diabetes as it is most commonly seen in young children, teenagers and adults under the age of 25 - 30. This occurs when the pancreas are unable to produce insulin, which are responsible to carry glucose to the cells. However, when enough insulin is not produced, the glucose level in the blood increases, causing the person to have diabetes. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is said to occur in middle aged and older people who suffer from the problem of obesity. This type of diabetes commonly occurs due to sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. In this case, the pancreas do produce insulin, but the body becomes resistant to insulin i.e., the body is not able to use the insulin properly, leading to the presence of glucose in the blood. Apart from these two, gestational diabetes is the third type of diabetes that occurs in women. Gestational diabetes, as the name suggests occurs when the woman is pregnant and occurs due to hormonal changes that occur in the body during this time. Though gestational diabetes does not stay after the baby is born, women who have gestational diabetes during pregnancy, are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in their life.

Causes of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually seen in people who have a family history of this disease. Moreover, people who are suffering from an abnormal immune response are also said to have this form of diabetes. Even in the case of type 2 diabetes, genetics does play a role for some people. Other than this, it is also very common in people who are obese and those who follow an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. The chances of diabetes is higher in women of certain races like that of African-American, American Indian, Hispanic, etc. Women who suffer from the problem of ovarian cysts or have infertility problems are also at a higher risk of having diabetes later in their lives.

Diabetes Symptoms in Women

Though diabetes symptoms in men and women are mostly the same, there are a few which occur only in women. Let us take a look at some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes in women.

Unexplained weight loss is one of the common type 1 diabetes symptoms in women. With this type of diabetes, the body is unable to use all the calories that the food provides, even though the person follows a healthy diet. Due to this, the person loses weight, even without trying to do so. Read more on early signs of diabetes.

Another symptom that is seen in both types of diabetes is the feeling the need to visit the washroom frequently. The body tries to get rid of the excess sugar through the urine and hence, one feels the need to urinate within very short periods of time. Read more on frequent urination in women.

As excessive urination not only eliminates the extra sugar present in the body, but also large amounts of water, the individual may suffer from the problem of dehydration. Due to this, she may experience excessive thirst and urination throughout the day which is another symptom of diabetes in women.

One of the typical type 2 diabetes symptoms in women is excessive eating i.e. polyphagia. When a person has this type of diabetes, the level of insulin is very high in the body. As insulin aids in stimulating hunger, too much of insulin in the body may make the person feel hungry and also make her eat more.

Another symptom of diabetes that is seen in women is the occurrence of skin infections as well as vaginal yeast infection. Diabetic women may also experience urinary tract infections very frequently.

Sexual dysfunction is also observed as a common symptom of diabetes in women. It is said that diabetic women may experience pain or discomfort while indulging in sexual intercourse, reduced vaginal sensitivity and vaginal lubrication, as well as an inability to achieve orgasm.

Apart from these physical symptoms, some psychological symptoms may also be seen in women affected by diabetes. They may experience extreme lethargy, agitation and sometimes may also feel irritable without any reason.

In case of gestational diabetes, no overt sign may occur. However, if a pregnant woman has high blood pressure, there are chances that she is suffering from gestational diabetes.

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These are some of the diabetes symptoms in women. Though most women experience these symptoms when they have diabetes, in many cases, people suffering from type II diabetes, do not experience any symptoms for several years. Many times, type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when a serious health problem like heart attack, vision problems, etc. arises. Hence, it is important for every woman to get herself checked for diabetes regularly after the age of 40. Early detection of diabetes will ensure that the individual gets proper treatment to control blood sugar level, thus preventing any major complications connected to this disease.