The exact cause of most types of diabetes is unknown. In all cases, sugar builds up in the bloodstream. This is because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes may be caused by a combination of genetic or environmental factors.

   Most early symptoms are from higher-than-normal levels of glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood.

How can you tell if you have diabetes?

The warning signs of diabetes can be so mild that you don’t notice them. That’s especially true of type 2 diabetes. Some people don’t find out they have it until they get problems from long-term damage caused by the disease.

With type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually happen quickly, in a matter of days or a few weeks. They’re much more severe, too.

EARLY SIGNS OF DIABETES

Both types of diabetes have some of the same telltale warning signs.

HUNGER AND FATIGUE. Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But your cells need insulin to take in glucose. If your body doesn’t make enough or any insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body makes, the glucose can’t get into them and you have no energy. This can make you hungrier and more tired than usual.

PEEING MORE OFTEN AND BEING THIRSTIER. The average person usually has to pee between four and seven times in 24 hours, but people with diabetes may go a lot more. Why? Normally, your body reabsorbs glucose as it passes through your kidneys. But when diabetes pushes your blood sugar up, your kidneys may not be able to bring it all back in. This causes the body to make more urine, and that takes fluids. The result: You’ll have to go more often. You might pee out more, too. Because you’re peeing so much, you can get very thirsty. When you drink more, you’ll also pee more.

DRY MOUTH AND ITCHY SKIN. Because your body is using fluids to make pee, there’s less moisture for other things. You could get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can make you itchy.

BLURRED VISION. Changing fluid levels in your body could make the lenses in your eyes swell up. They change shape and can’t focus.

SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES

These tend to show up after your glucose has been high for a long time.

YEAST INFECTIONS. Both men and women with diabetes can get these. Yeast feeds on glucose, so having plenty around makes it thrive. Infections can grow in any warm, moist fold of skin, including:
Between fingers and toes
Under breasts
In or around sex organs
Slow-healing sores or cuts. Over time, high blood sugar can affect your blood flow and cause nerve damage that makes it hard for your body to heal wounds.
Pain or numbness in your feet or legs. This is another result of nerve damage.

SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 1 DIABETES

YOU MIGHT NOTICE:

UNPLANNED WEIGHT LOSS. If your body can’t get energy from your food, it will start burning muscle and fat for energy instead. You may lose weight even though you haven’t changed how you eat. See which foods are high in trans fatty acids.

NAUSEA AND VOMITING. When your body resorts to burning fat, it makes ketones. These can build up in your blood to dangerous levels, a possibly life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Ketones can make you feel sick to your stomach.