What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?
In the vast majority of cases, people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms and that's a big problem, because just because they don't have symptoms, doesn't mean there is not harm going on. In fact, all of the time that they're having high blood sugar levels and not knowing it, they're developing complications of diabetes. So that it's very important if someone's at risk, if they have a family history of diabetes, if they're overweight, particularly in the center. If they have high blood pressure. If they have abnormal cholesterol levels. Those people need to go every single year and get a fasting blood sugar test at their doctors, to be sure that they don't have it.In the United States we estimate that most people have diabetes for 5 to 7 years before it's diagnosed. So that's why people need to know to go in. Now, that being said, there are things that people might notice. As I said, gaining weight in your center, really good sign that you're at risk for diabetes. Another thing is a syndrome called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome that women get where they have irregular menstrual cycles. They may have increased facial hair, problems with fertility. Those people are actually at high risk for getting diabetes. A woman with high blood sugar levels may complain of frequent vaginal infections. People may complain of wounds not healing quite as well. They might be a little more tired. Their eyes might be a little more blurry and even people with type 2 diabetes can get that excessive urination, thirst and weight loss. But that's very, very few. Most people don't know that they're sick until it's picked up in a doctor's office.
