Signs of diabetes in women

Constantly elevated blood glucose is diagnosed in both sexes and proceeds approximately identically. But there are specific signs of diabetes in women associated with the special mechanisms of the endocrine system and periodic fluctuations in the hormonal balance.

What signs of diabetes in women appear first?

The early symptoms of the described disease may be completely absent or mild. In addition, type 1 and type 2 diabetes are often masked for other pathologies.

The first clinical manifestations of increase in glucose in the blood:

• fatigue, lethargy, worsening of working capacity;
• decreased visual acuity;
• frequent colds, SARS, relapses of chronic diseases;
• drowsiness after eating;
• headache.

These early signs of diabetes mellitus in women under 30 years are extremely rare. The young organism is able for a long time to cope with the consequences of a pathological increase in glucose concentration without visible symptoms. Therefore, it is so important to pass preventive medical examinations, and at least once a year to donate blood for analysis.

The main signs of diabetes in women

With the gradual development of endocrine pathology, its symptoms become more intense:

• a constant sensation of intense thirst;
• frequent urination;
• increased appetite, especially the desire for sweets and flour dishes;
• uncontrolled weight gain, this symptom is observed in women only in type 2 diabetes mellitus ;
• an increase in the daily volume of urine;
• fragility, delamination of nails, hair;
• marked swelling of the face, mainly in the morning;
• unpleasant odor from the mouth, usually similar to acetone vapor;
• malfunctions of the menstrual cycle;
• frequent dizziness, sometimes leading to loss of consciousness;
• slow, poor healing of wounds and minor abrasions followed by scarring, scars;
• cramps in the calf muscles;
• palpable heaviness in the legs;
• depression;
• decreased libido;
• nebula before the eyes, flickering of spots, "flies";
• sleep disorders;
• heartache;
• nausea and vomiting (rarely);
• increased excitability, irritability;
• periodic numbness of the limbs ;
• decreased pain sensitivity;
• general muscle weakness.

There are also specific signs of diabetes on the skin of women:

• severe itching;
• marked pigmentation, especially on the hands and face;
• dryness, thinning of the skin;
• presence of vascular "mesh" or "stars";
• pustular lesions, furunculosis;
• discomfort in the groin;
• fungal and bacterial skin infections;
• growth of hair on the skin of the face (above the upper lip, from below the chin);
• the appearance of small outgrowths of yellowish color - xanthom.

It is noteworthy that the signs of diabetes in lean women are less pronounced than if there is excess weight. In such cases, the diagnosis should be clarified with the help of urine analysis, in which a large number of ketone bodies are detected. But such symptoms as muscle weakness and fatigue in elegant women are more obvious, in addition they are accompanied by a decrease in temperature body and blood pressure.

Are there any characteristic signs of latent diabetes in women?

A feature of the latent form of the examined disease is the absolute absence of any of its clinical manifestations. Therefore, hidden diabetes mellitus is mainly found by accident.

For timely diagnosis and the beginning of adequate therapeutic measures, all women at risk should be given blood every year for testing glucose tolerance.