Symptoms and Complications of Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes who are not being treated urinate frequently and feel excessively thirsty. They usually feel very tired and experience severe weight loss despite normal or excessive food intake.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes usually appear more gradually. People with type 2 diabetes who do not have their blood glucose under control often have a persistent, mild thirst. They urinate frequently, and often feel mild fatigue and complain of blurred vision. Many women with the disease have recurring vaginal yeast infections.

Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease, one of the leading causes of death in Canada. It’s also the biggest cause of blindness and kidney failure in adults. Older adults with diabetes are twice as likely to develop high blood pressure as people without diabetes.

People with diabetes are also much more likely to undergo foot and other “lower extremity” amputations due to circulatory problems. Between one-third and one-half of men who have diabetes will experience erectile dysfunction at some point.