Diabetes Symptoms in Women

Diabetes is a condition where a person experiences high blood sugar levels due to his struggles with producing adequate insulin in the body.

While the rates for men with diabetes decreased since the early 1970s because of modern medicine and awareness, the same cannot be said for women. This is due to several reasons.

Women do not receive the same level of treatment for risk factors that cause diabetes.

Diabetes is also sometimes harder to detect in women than in men. Here is information on common diabetes symptoms for women.

Yeast Infections

Women who might have diabetes could experience constant yeast infections.

Symptoms of a yeast infection include painful intercourse, soreness and redness near the vaginal area, and white vaginal discharge.

Not all cases of yeast infections are related to diabetes, but if this is happening frequently, you should get checked by a doctor.

Frequent Thirst

This is another common symptom of diabetes in women. When there is too much sugar in your bloodstream, your kidneys are not able to eliminate the sugar from the bloodstream effectively.

As a result more water leaves the bloodstream, and this leads to excess thirst.

Diabetics can combat this by drinking plenty of water.

Excess Urination

Have you wondered why you always have the urge to use the restroom in recent months?

Chances are that you could have diabetes. As explained earlier in the article, too much glucose in the bloodstream could cause urination to happen more than unusual.

Wounds That Don’t Seem to Heal

Another common symptom of diabetes in women is the presence of wounds that will not heal quickly or not heal at all.

One reason is because circulation is not the best in women with diabetes.

If this happens a lot for you and you’re experiencing the above-mentioned symptoms, then it is time to get tested for diabetes.

Sudden Weight Loss

This happens a lot with women who have type 1 diabetes.

It is a symptom that comes from the body’s inability to use up calories that were consumed during the day.

If you generally eat healthy and exercise but still lose too much weight, you should see the doctor.

Always Wanting to Eat

On the other hand, some diabetic women might experience the need to eat constantly.

This is especially true for those with type 2 diabetes. When you have this condition your insulin levels are high and since the insulin helps boost appetite, you become hungrier.

Sexual Problems

Diabetic women might sometimes experience sexual dysfunction. Diabetic neuropathy is the culprit behind this, and you lose feeling in various parts of your body.

Talk with your gynecologist about possible solutions to this problem so that you can enjoy a healthy sex life despite diabetes.

Blurry Vision

This is one of the earliest diabetes symptoms in women.

Diabetics get blurry vision because high glucose levels build up in the eye’s lens and if left unchecked for prolonged years, you could develop diabetes-related blindness.

How You Can Prevent Diabetes

Don’t let these symptoms creep up on you.

There are practical ways to reduce the risk of getting diabetes:

• Visit the doctor regularly and have your blood sugar levels checked often.
• Talk with your family to determine if there is a history of diabetes among relatives.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and exercise as much as possible.
• Educate yourself by attending seminars on diabetes and reading books about the illness.
• Drink plenty of water and reduce stress by meditating, talking to loved ones and journaling.
• Get adequate hours of sleep at night.

But I Just Found Out I Have Diabetes. Now What?

• Start by cutting back on the amount of carbs you eat each day, especially refined flour foods such as white bread and white pasta.
• Stay away from the sugary soft drinks and processed fruit juices as these raise sugar levels.
• Don’t eat foods with high levels of sodium after you find out you have diabetes.
• Avoid large portioned meals and read ingredients on labels carefully.
• Continue to exercise regularly and maintain a positive attitude.
• In conclusion, diabetes is not a death sentence but if not managed properly, it could lead to death.

You should speak with your doctor often about changes in your body following the diagnosis.

If you’re the caregiver of someone with diabetes, learn all you can about diabetes management so that your loved one will be healthy long term.

Having diabetes also doesn’t mean that your diet suddenly becomes boring. There are delicious recipes online that are suited for diabetics, which are easy to make.

Tell yourself everyday that you are going to live a fulfilling life despite your condition, and surround yourself with supportive friends who will offer encouragement and compassion.

Most importantly, find things to be passionate about and use this as part of your new lifestyle after the diagnosis.