Diabetes is a complex disorder of body chemistry, but it can be managed if properly understood. Carry medical identification such as a medic alert bracelet or wallet card. A. Normally, the body breaks down the components of foods into glucose, which the body then uses as an energy supply. Glucose levels in the blood rise to unacceptable levels. IDDM usually develops during childhood or young adulthood, but it can develop at any age.
Excess fat is believed to interfere with insulin's role in changing glucose to energy.
A. Common symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, fatigue, and loss of muscular coordination. Other symptoms may include increased appetite, skin infections, slow-healing wounds, recurring vaginitis, difficulty with erections, and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. Also, you should be alert to the signs and symptoms of depression, which occurs three times more often in diabetic patients than it does in the general public. A. Know the signs. Be aware of the symptoms of diabetes, listed above.