Do You Have These Warning Signs of Diabetes?

Diabetes Symptoms

Symptoms for type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar. However people with type 2 diabetes may get few or no symptoms at all, and people with type 1 diabetes may experience symptoms very suddenly.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination 
• Excessive thirst 
• Increased hunger 
• Weight loss 
• Tiredness 
• Lack of interest and concentration 
• Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as flu) 
• Tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet 
• Blurred vision
• Frequent skin infections
• Slow-healing wounds 
• Acanthosis nigricans (dark velvety patches of skin typically on the neck, underarms, groin or elbow).

High risk groups with no symptoms

Certain groups of people are at high risk of type 2 diabetes but may experience no symptoms at all. It is important that these people are routinely tested for diabetes using a fasting blood glucose test. These groups include:

• People with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 35 and over
• Pacific Islanders, people from the Indian subcontinent and people of Chinese cultural background who are aged 35 and over
• People aged 45 and over who have one or more of the following risk factors:

          -  Obesity (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2) 

          - Hypertension

• People with clinical cardiovascular disease including myocardial infarction, angina, stroke or peripheral vascular disease
• Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome who are obese.

The AUSDRISK tool can be used to identify those at high risk of undiagnosed pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

References:

1. World Diabetes Day booklet, International Diabetes Federation, 2009.
2. Diabetes Australia, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2010, Diabetes Management in General Practice, 16th Edition 2010/11, Diabetes Australia, 2010.