From the Guidelines
The symptoms of diabetes include polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss, sometimes with polyphagia, and blurred vision, as a result of marked hyperglycemia. These symptoms occur because diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both 1. The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of different organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels.
Key Symptoms
- Polyuria: increased urination
- Polydipsia: increased thirst
- Weight loss: sometimes with polyphagia, or increased hunger
- Blurred vision: due to high blood sugar levels damaging blood vessels in the eyes Other symptoms may include impairment of growth and susceptibility to certain infections, which can accompany chronic hyperglycemia 1.
Long-term Complications
Long-term complications of diabetes include retinopathy with potential loss of vision; nephropathy leading to renal failure; peripheral neuropathy with risk of foot ulcers, amputations, and Charcot joints; and autonomic neuropathy causing gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and cardiovascular symptoms and sexual dysfunction 1. Patients with diabetes have an increased incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular, peripheral arterial, and cerebrovascular disease. It is essential to seek medical attention promptly if these symptoms are noticed, as early diagnosis and treatment can prevent serious complications like heart disease, kidney damage, and nerve problems.
From the FDA Drug Label
Know your symptoms of high blood sugar which may include: increased thirst a hard time breathing frequent urination fruity smell on the breath drowsiness high amounts of sugar and ketones in your urine loss of appetite nausea, vomiting (throwing up) or stomach pain The symptoms of diabetes (high blood sugar) include:
- Increased thirst
- Hard time breathing
- Frequent urination
- Fruity smell on the breath
- Drowsiness
- High amounts of sugar and ketones in the urine
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea, vomiting (throwing up) or stomach pain 2
From the Research
Symptoms of Diabetes
The symptoms of diabetes are not explicitly mentioned in the provided studies. However, the studies discuss the diagnosis and screening of diabetes, which can be related to the symptoms.
- The studies 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 focus on the diagnostic criteria and tests for diabetes, such as fasting plasma glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.
- According to 3, uncontrolled diabetes can lead to complications such as blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure, and vascular and heart disease.
- The studies do not provide a direct list of symptoms of diabetes, but they imply that hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is a key indicator of the disease.
- Typical signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia, as mentioned in 3, can be used to indicate diabetes, especially when combined with a random plasma glucose level of 200 mg per dL or greater.
Diagnostic Criteria
The diagnostic criteria for diabetes are discussed in the studies, including:
- Fasting plasma glucose level of 126 mg per dL or greater 3
- HbA1c level of 6.5% or greater 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- Random plasma glucose level of 200 mg per dL or greater 3
- 75-g two-hour oral glucose tolerance test with a plasma glucose level of 200 mg per dL or greater 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- 1-hour plasma glucose level during the oral glucose tolerance test, with a suggested cutoff of 11.6 mmol/L 6