Do you think you have diabetes? – Here is how you tell.

The pancreas is the organ in your body that produces insulin. Insulin is the key to process sugar in the body. When you have diabetes the pancreas is either not producing insulin (Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes) or it is producing but not enough to cover the sugar intake. (Type 2 Adult onset Diabetes) The symptoms of diabetes are not painful just extremely uncomfortable.
The symptoms of diabetes.

1. Frequent Urination
You go to the bathroom and expel a large amount of urine. Shortly after that you are back to the bathroom to expel another large amount of urine. It will seem like you go to the bathroom every five minutes. It will also seem like you spend most of your day in the bathroom. The body cannot process all the sugar so you release it through the urine.

2. Extreme Thirst
When you’re not in the bathroom you will be drinking a lot of fluid. The thirst will be unquenchable.

3. High Blood Sugar Reading
A normal blood sugar reading is between 80 and 120. If your pancreas doesn’t work you can expect a number well above 120. A reading over 200 will be very uncomfortable.

4. Fatigue
After an extended period of high blood sugar you become very tired and spend the day sleeping. It’s the opposite of what you would think. When a child has a high sugar intake they become very hyper. They are using the sugar. A diabetic cannot use the sugar.

5. Quick Weight Loss
Extended periods of high blood sugar can lead to a condition called ketoacidosis. In ketoacidosis the cells in your body have no sugar for fuel so they use reserves in your fat and muscle resulting in very rapid weight loss. This is the most serious of the symptoms if you have this symptom you should probably go to the doctor as soon as possible.

A possible scenario of the symptoms would be that you experience symptoms one and two. Then you go to the doctor to find out symptom three has taken place. It is also possible you experience symptoms one, two, and four before going to the doctor to find the high blood sugar reading. If you have frequent urination and extreme thirst it doesn’t guarantee that you have diabetes but it is definitely something to check out.

How do you combat the symptoms of diabetes? If your pancreas still works you may be able to reverse the disease by changing your diet and lifestyle by eating less sugary foods and exercising more. Depending on how serious your condition is you can also lower blood sugar by taking pills or daily injections of insulin.

If you have these symptoms and have not previously been diagnosed you should consult your doctor immediately.