Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes are minimal to none in the early stages. People mistakenly think that most diabetics suffer from symptoms such as excessive urination and excessive thirst. The fact is that only a minority of diabetics, typically Type 1 diabetics, suffer from these symptoms. The majority of Type 2 diabetics, on the other hand, usually do not have excessive urination or excessive thirst.
Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes is Often an Incidental Finding
Most Type 2 diabetics are diagnosed incidentally on blood testing. They may go to see their physician for some unrelated illness or have a routine blood test for their annual check up. Then, they get the news that they have Diabetes.
Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes is Sometimes Made Due to a Complication of Diabetes
Sometimes, you may be having tingling or numbness in your feet, which may turn out to be a manifestation of “diabetic peripheral neuropathy” due to Type 2 Diabetes.
Sometimes your first symptom may be a heart attack. In the emergency room, you find out that you also have Diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes is a manifestation of an underlying disease process, called Insulin Resistance.
Heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure are some of the other manifestations of Insulin Resistance.
Type 2 Diabetes – A Silent Killer
Type 2 Diabetes develops insidiously over a long period of time. During this time, your blood vessels are narrowing, nerves are under attack and a high level of insulin is causing growth of tissues, benign as well as cancerous. That’s why I like to call it a silent killer. During the early stages, your routine blood sugar is often normal. However, you can get the diagnosis of early diabetes or prediabetes on a special blood test called an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).
