Diabetes is a category of metabolic illnesses where a person has high blood sugar because of issues with digesting or making insulin, according to Ana Gotter of Healthline. Any age, race, and sex can be impacted by diabetes. Any lifestyle can be impacted by it. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2014, there were 422 million persons worldwide believed to have diabetes, an increase from the 108 million reported in 1980. Despite having blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, prediabetes is not yet considered to be diabetes by medical professionals. If they do not receive treatment, patients with prediabetes frequently acquire type 2 diabetes within 5 years, according to the CDC. Type 2 diabetes can develop gradually, and the initial signs and symptoms may not be severe. Because of this, a lot of people might not be aware that they have this ailment.
According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine between 1971 and 2000, the mortality rate for diabetic men decreased. Due to the fact that women frequently receive less aggressive therapy for cardiovascular risk factors and illnesses associated with diabetes, the findings highlight how diabetes affects men and women differently. It can be more challenging to diagnose certain diabetes in women. Compared to men, women frequently have various types of heart disease. Finally, women's hormones and inflammation behave differently.
Many of the symptoms of diabetes that men experience may also affect women. However, according to Ana Gotter, some symptoms are specific to women. Knowing more about these signs will help you recognize diabetes and begin treatment as soon as possible. According to Maria Prelipcean of Medical News Today, one of the early signs of diabetes in women is frequent urination. The kidneys attempt to eliminate extra sugar from the blood by filtering it out when blood sugar levels are high. As a result, especially at night, a person may need to urinate more frequently. The frequent urine required to remove too much sugar from the blood might cause the body to lose more water, thus, over time, this can result in dehydration and make someone thirstier than usual. Hunger is another diabetes early warning indicator. Diabetes patients frequently do not consume enough calories to meet their needs. Food is converted by the digestive system into glucose, a simple sugar that the body needs as fuel. In diabetics, not enough of this glucose enters the body's cells from the bloodstream.
Vaginal and oral yeast infections, as well as vaginal thrush, are other early warning signs, according to Ana Gotter. Vaginal thrush, oral yeast infections, and vaginal yeast infections can all be brought on by a yeast overgrowth brought on by the Candida fungus. Women frequently develop these infections. Itching, tenderness, vaginal discharge, and painful intercourse are signs of an infection in the vaginal area. Women with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI). When germs enter the urinary tract, UTIs result. These infections can make urinating unpleasant, burn, and result in bloody or murky urine. If these symptoms are left untreated, kidney infection is a possibility. Female sexual dysfunction is another warning indication. When nerve fibers are damaged by excessive blood glucose, diabetic neuropathy results. This may result in tingling and a lack of sensation in many body areas, including the hands, feet, and legs. Additionally, this illness may lessen a woman's sex drive and impair the sensation in the vaginal area.
Women's bodies pose challenges to controlling diabetes and blood sugar at all stages of life. However, there are strategies to lower your risk or treat diabetes, such as making adjustments to your way of life. These include staying physically active and at a healthy weight, abstaining from tobacco use, eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and monitoring your blood sugar to look for diabetes early. You can also use medications to alleviate the side effects and consequences of diabetes.
High blood sugar levels are a common symptom of type 2 diabetes. Frequent urination, increased thirst, hunger and fatigue, eyesight issues, sluggish wound healing, and yeast infections are a few early warning signs and symptoms. Anyone who thinks they may have diabetes should get checked out by a doctor, especially if they also have other risk factors for the disease. Early type 2 diabetes diagnosis and management can enhance a person's quality of life and lower the likelihood of serious consequences.
ZDS DMO II Marie-Claire Gaas, RND
References:
- How Diabetes Affects Women: Symptoms, Risks, and More
Written by Ana Gotter on April 27, 2017
https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/symptoms-in-women
- What are the early signs of type 2 diabetes?
Medically reviewed by Maria Prelipcean, M.D. — Written by Nicole Galan, RN on January 21, 2020
