Diabetes is a prevalent disorder characterized by chronic high blood sugar, known as hyperglycemia. While several types of diabetes exist, cases of type II diabetes mellitus are rapidly increasing in most age groups due to a rise in obesity rates. All women should have their blood sugar checked on a yearly basis as some women with diabetes exhibit no noticeable symptoms.
Frequent Urination
Diabetes causes excessive glucose (sugar) in the urine. According to the book "Medical-Surgical Nursing," this causes an osmotic diuresis in which potassium, sodium and chloride are excreted in higher than normal quantities in the urine. An excessive amount of water accompanies these electrolytes, leading the woman to void large amounts of urine frequently.
Excessive Thirst
The excessive urination leads to body dehydration, which in turn leads to frequent thirst. The woman with untreated diabetes usually finds herself drinking water or other beverages more often than usual.
Excessive Hunger
In untreated diabetes, the cells of the body do not receive as much glucose as they need because not enough insulin is available to assist glucose into the cells. As a result, the cells begin to starve, sending a message to the body to eat. As a result, the woman can suffer from excessive hunger and, despite an increase her food intake, begin losing weight.
Fatigue
Mayo Clinic states that fatigue is a common symptom of diabetes. This fatigue occurs from the body not being able to properly use glucose and from the body chemicals being out of balance. Also, the body's tissues may not be getting adequate oxygen.
Numbness
Diabetes can cause numbness or tingling in the fingers, hands or feet. This is due to the harmful effects of elevated blood glucose on sensory nerve fibers.
Impaired Wound Healing
A woman with undiagnosed diabetes may notice that cuts or open sores heal more slowly than usual. One of the principal reasons for this is the damage from uncontrolled blood glucose to small blood vessels. Also, the body's immune system cannot work properly in the environment of elevated blood sugar.
Infections
Yeast and bladder infections are more common in women with diabetes, again due to diabetes' damaging effect on the work of the immune system. High blood glucose is theorized to provide an environment conducive to yeast growth, worsening the likelihood of recurrent vaginal yeast infections.
Vision Problems
Several different mechanisms begin to act in untreated diabetes that damage the eyesight. Blurry vision is one symptom frequently noted among undiagnosed diabetics. Legal blindness is described in "Medical-Surgical Nursing" as being 25 times more common in people with diabetes.
Unconsciousness
For some women, falling unconscious is the first symptom that leads them to seek care for undiagnosed diabetes. This occurs when the blood sugar level becomes extremely high and severe chemical balances occur in the body.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Symptoms
- Mayo Clinic: Diabetes
- "Medical-Surgical Nursing;" Donna Ignatiavicius, M.S., R.N. and Linda Workman, Ph.D., R.N.; 2002
