The symptoms of diabetes will depend on which type of diabetes is present. Type 1 diabetes symptoms will usually be a great deal more obvious and can often result in an emergency. The most severe symptoms are triggered by hypoglycemia – that is, low blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes symptoms are similar in some respects, but do not usually present as a medical emergency. The main symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are related to being hyperglycemic, that is, having too much blood sugar. Knowing the differences between the two sets of symptoms can help you get prompt treatment and set you back on the road to better health.

Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes include:

  • Feeling thirsty all the time, even after drinking
  • Feeling hungry a lot, even after eating
  • Urinating often
  • Bedwetting in younger children
  • Dry mouth
  • Pain in the abdomen
  • Unexplained weight loss even though you have been eating regularly, or more than usual
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Feeling tired all the time, even when you have been resting
  • Blurred vision
  • Finding it more difficult to breathe
  • Frequent infections of the skin, urinary tract, or vagina, such as a yeast infection

Signs of an emergency due to low blood sugar from Type 1 diabetes include:

  • Shaking and confusion
  • Rapid breathing
  • Fruity smell to the breath
  • Pain in the abdomen
  • Feeling faint
  • Losing consciousness or lapsing into an unresponsive state, a sign of diabetic coma (rare)

There are a number symptoms Type 2 diabetes has in common with Type 1:

  • Feeling thirsty all the time, even after drinking
  • Urinating often
  • Dry mouth
  • Unexplained weight loss even though you have been eating regularly, or more than usual
  • Feeling tired all the time, even when you have been resting
  • Blurry vision
  • Frequent infections of the skin, urinary tract, or vagina, such as a yeast infection

Other symptoms unique to Type 2 diabetes include:

  • Wounds that don’t heal, or take a lot longer to heal than usual
  • Being irritable
  • Feeling worn out
  • Yeast infections that keep coming back even after treatment
  • Kidney problems (diabetic nephropathy)
  • Vision problems (diabetic retinopathy)
  • Tingling or numbness in your hands or feet (diabetic neuropathy)
  • Lack of circulation in hands, feet, arms, legs

Loss of circulation can lead to a range of other symptoms. The most obvious for many men is erectile dysfunction, because erections require good blood flow. Fingers or toes looking very white, or very black, can also be a sign of circulatory issue. Black is a sign of tissue death, which can lead to amputation. Diabetes is the number two cause of all amputations in the US, after car and other serious accidents.

Diabetes is number seven on the list of all causes of death, and this number might be even higher due to the other serious medical conditions associated with diabetes, including heart disorders.

Many of the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes can start out as barely noticeable, but will become progressively worse over time if blood glucose is not kept under tight control, and/or you do not adopt lifestyle measures to help relieve them. For example, not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health generally. In terms of diabetes, if will help improve circulation, which in turn can maintain good heart health and decrease the chances of needing an amputation.

No matter which kind of diabetes you have, the important thing is to follow your treatment guidelines given to you by your doctor in terms of diet, exercise and weight loss. For those with Type 1, good monitoring and correct use of insulin will be key to avoiding the most common symptoms.