Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

Type 2 diabetes symptoms can include excessive hunger or thirst, frequent urination, extreme fatigue, nerve tingling, and blurry vision. These all stem from the effect of excessively high sugar (glucose) levels in the blood. However, early on, some people experience no noticeable symptoms of diabetes at all.

Type 2 diabetes often develops slowly, and symptoms tend to come on gradually. This is true for type 2 diabetes in both children and adults. Getting diagnosed and treated as early as possible can help prevent complications of the disease, so it's helpful to know what to look for.

This article outlines important information about type 2 diabetes symptoms, including early signs, common and rare symptoms, complications, and how to recognize a diabetic emergency.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

You may be experiencing early warning signs and symptoms of diabetes if you:

• Feel very thirsty
• Pee more often, especially at night
• Are more hungry than usual
• Have cuts or sores that heal slowly
• Are losing weight unintentionally
• Have blurry vision
• Experience tingling or numbness in your hands or feet
• Feel very tired
• Have more infections (like UTIs or yeast infections)
  

While the these signs and symptoms can be caused by various conditions, diabetes is one. See your healthcare provider for an evaluation if you experience any of these.

Common Diabetes Symptoms

The early symptoms of diabetes worsen as diabetes progresses, especially if it is not properly managed. And if you don't experience these symptoms in the beginning of your disease course, they can arise over time.

Let's take a closer look at each one.

Excessive Urination

When you have abnormally high levels of glucose in your blood, your kidneys draw in water from your tissues to dilute the glucose so that your body can get rid of it through the urine. Your cells also pump fluid into the bloodstream to help flush out sugar.

But the kidneys are unable to reabsorb this fluid as they filter your blood. This can result in polyuria, or an increase in how much you pee.

To meet the clinical definition of polyuria, urine output for an adult must exceed 2.5 liters per day (normal urine output is 1.5 liters daily).

Take note if you're making more trips to the restroom or if you're staying there longer when you do.

Excessive Thirst

Excessive thirst, or polydipsia, typically goes hand-in-hand with increased urination.

As the body pulls water out of the tissues to dilute the blood and get rid of excess glucose, the urge to drink increases to replenish that fluid. Many people describe this thirst as unquenchable.

To stay hydrated, you may feel the urge to drink excessive amounts of liquids. If those liquids contain simple sugars—as soda, sweet iced tea, lemonade, and juice do, for example—your glucose level will skyrocket even higher.

Extreme Fatigue

Your body is like a car—it needs fuel to function. Glucose, which comes from the breaking down of foods that contain carbohydrates, is its primary source. Insulin, a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas, moves glucose from the blood into the cells to use for energy.

When you have diabetes, either your pancreas isn't making enough insulin or the insulin that your body is making isn't being used the way it's supposed to be used, typically because the cells become resistant to it.

The result is that your cells become deprived of glucose and you experience a lack of energy and extreme fatigue.

Excessive Hunger

Excessive hunger, also called polyphagia, is correlated with fatigue and cell starvation.

Because the cells are resistant to insulin, glucose remains in the blood. The cells are then unable to gain access to glucose, which can trigger the release of hormones that tell the brain that you are hungry.

Excessive eating can complicate things further by causing blood sugar levels to increase.

Numbness or Tingling

Diabetic neuropathy is numbness, tingling, or a feeling of "pins and needles" in the arms or legs brought on by type 2 diabetes. This symptom tends to develop gradually over time as excess sugar damages the nerves.

Keeping glucose levels within the normal range can help prevent further damage and reduce symptoms. People with severe neuropathy may require medication.

Slow Healing Wounds

When the blood is thick with sugar, it may not move as freely throughout the body.

Poor circulation can make it hard for blood to reach areas that need to heal, which slows down that process. A cut or bruise that is slow to improve could be a sign of high blood sugar.

Blurry Vision

Elevated blood sugar can cause your vision to blur. It can also lead to dry eyes and make it hard to focus. This happens when fluid that is pulled into the bloodstream to dilute glucose comes from the lenses of the eyes.

It's important to have a dilated eye exam shortly after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Note, though, that damage to the eye may occur even before diabetes can be officially diagnosed.

Rare Diabetes Symptoms

Some type 2 diabetes symptoms are less common. However, they can signal the disease and are worth being aware of.

Rare symptoms include:

• Dry mouth (a sign of dehydration that can result from increased urination)
• Irritability
• Dry, itchy skin
• Skin tags
• Frequent infections, such as yeast infections
• Acanthosis nigricans: This condition causes dark, "velvety" patches of skin on the armpits, groin, and neck folds, and over the joints of the fingers and toes. It is an indicator of high insulin and is seen most often in African Americans.
• Unexplained weight loss (usually associated with type 1 diabetes, but it can also occur with type 2 diabetes when there is insulin deficiency)
• Erectile dysfunction due to years of uncontrolled blood sugar damaging nerves

Complications of Type 2 Diabetes

Complications of diabetes develop slowly, but may become severe if the condition is untreated.

By the time someone is diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, the body has been fighting high sugar and insulin levels for about 10 years.

Very high blood sugar (severe hyperglycemia) can cause significant complications, including death.

Possible diabetes complications include:

• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Coronary artery disease, a hardening or narrowing of the arteries
• Foot problems caused by insufficient blood flow and nerve damage, sometimes severe enough to warrant amputation
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Eye damage (retinopathy)
• Kidney damage
• Ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition in which rapid breakdown of fat makes the blood acidic
  
• Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (HHNS), sometimes referred to as diabetic coma
  

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Type 2 diabetes symptoms should not be ignored, even if they seem minor. While 28.7 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with diabetes, 8.5 million more are undiagnosed.

Seeking health care for your symptoms is especially important if diabetes runs in your family or you have other risk factors for the disease, such as being:

• Age 45 or older
• Diagnosed with prediabetes
• A score of 25 or more on your body mass index (BMI)
• Sedentary or inactive
• African American, an Alaska native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander American

If you begin to notice any early signs or symptoms of diabetes, make an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

When to Go to the Hospital

Severe hyperglycemia is a medical emergency. Get urgent medical care if you experience any symptoms related to diabetic hyperglycemia:

• Extreme thirst
• Frequent urination
  
• Fruity breath
  
• Sleepiness or confusion
• Loss of vision
• Hallucinations
• Weakness on one side of the body

While the reverse—hypoglycemia, or very low blood sugar—is mainly associated with type 1 diabetes, it can also affect those with type 2 diabetes who take insulin or are on certain medications. It, too, is a medical emergency.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

• Dizziness
• Shaking
• Headache
• Sweating
• Hunger

Without treatment, severe hypoglycemia (insulin shock) can occur, causing muscle weakness, difficulty speaking, seizures, unconsciousness, and other concerns.

Summary

Diabetes is a serious disease that can have significant consequences if it goes untreated. Knowing the signs and symptoms of diabetes can help you catch the disease early on, when it is most easily managed.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience any symptoms of uncontrolled blood sugar, such as excessive thirst, extreme fatigue, numbness in your arms or legs, a wound that won't heal, or an increase in how often you pee. This is especially true if you have a family history of diabetes.