Type 1 diabetes, or insulin-dependent diabetes, is the form of the disease in which insulin isn't produced at all or in insufficient quantities to let you live without treatment. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use glucose. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the balance between insulin and sugar is off. You may become resistant to how insulin is supposed to work, or there isn't enough insulin produced in your system. Both forms of the disease can be life-threatening.
Thirst, Blurred Vision
When insulin can't control how your body uses glucose--whether it's insufficient or non-existent--the sugars accumulate in the bloodstream. This draws fluid out of bodily tissues. The result, the Mayo Clinic says, is that you're much more thirsty. To quench this, you drink excess amounts of liquids. This can cause the need to urinate frequently. Because the fluids are drawn out of your tissues from all over your body, including your eyes, you may experience another symptom of diabetes in which your vision becomes blurry. Without sufficient fluid in your eyes, they can't focus your vision properly.
Hunger
Sugar in your bloodstream feeds the various parts of your body and gives you energy. Without the proper level of insulin in your system, the sugar isn't transported effectively to your organs and muscles. Because the sugar isn't flowing correctly, your body loses energy. The common result is intense hunger. However, because the sugar idoesn't reach its destination, the hunger may persist even following a large meal.
Body Symptoms
Even though you may eat more than normal when you have diabetes, the food doesn't really help your body maintain its weight or gain weight. This may lead to a rapid loss of weight despite eating a lot. Muscle tissues and what your body has stored as fat are depleted. This also can cause fatigue and make you irritable. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you also may experience a symptom called acanthosis nigricans in which your skin becomes discolored in velvety, dark patches on your neck or in your armpits. The Mayo Clinic reports this as an indication your body is becoming resistant to insulin. Another symptom associated with Type 2 diabetes is an increase in the frequency of infections in your body and a reduced ability to heal quickly.
