The first signs of diabetes in women

Many scientific minds engaged in research in the field of medicine, diabetes mellitus is considered a scourge of the 21st century. If a couple of decades ago, this pathology was also encountered quite often, then in the current period it has found all the signs of a global epidemic. This sad fact is confirmed by statistics. And one more peculiarity of this endocrine pathology is that the representative of the beautiful half of humanity are more susceptible to the disease. Although men also suffer from diabetes, the number of cases among them is much less than among women.

If we take the female part of the population separately, diabetes mellitus is diagnosed mainly in women of middle age.Let's try to figure out what is causing such a negative trend, and what contributes to the development of the disease in women.

Provoking factors

It is not by chance that the lack of insulin production, which results in serious pathological manifestations on the part of the body, is called “sugar” disease. This term best describes the mechanism of the changes. Unfortunately, women more than men tend to be overweight. Malnutrition, carbohydrate-rich food - all of which results in obesity.

Especially actively accumulated extra pounds during menopause. For this reason, diabetes mellitus most often develops in women of mature age. This feature is explained by the fact that in the climacteric period the woman's body undergoes serious changes associated with the restructuring of hormonal functions. If women of reproductive age have hormonal balance, then with the onset of menopause, estrogen production declines sharply. It also reduces the secretion of other hormones.

Another period associated with risks is pregnancy.But the time of gestation is also associated with hormonal changes. The future mother is actively gaining weight, and this necessarily leads to an imbalance in her body. Therefore, the risks of developing diabetes in pregnant women are incredibly high. This form of diabetes in medicine is usually called gestational or diabetes of pregnant women.

The first signs of diabetes in women

Every woman must carefully monitor their health. This requirement is due to the fact that pathologies often proceed in the early stages in a latent, that is, in a latent form. It is also characteristic of diabetes. Therefore, it is important to recognize and take all measures to localize it in a timely manner.

With different types of diabetes, there are distinctive symptoms. There are also differences in the speed of the process.

Symptoms for type 2 diabetes in women 40 to 50

As a rule, diabetes of the second type is detected in women completely by chance while undergoing a routine examination or during the period of preparation for an operation. These activities imply an in-depth examination, the results of which diagnose diabetes.Mature ladies from 40 to 60 years old mostly fall into this group, although in the last decade type 2 diabetes has become much younger.

At this age, the woman's body becomes very vulnerable, the protective functions weaken, and there is no resource to compensate for them. Therefore, by the time when the first signs clearly mark themselves, the pathological process develops along an increasing curve, often complemented by complications. That is, a woman can not even guess the years that she has diabetes.

If we talk about the first manifestations of type 2 diabetes, it is:

• constant thirst;
• feeling of dry mouth;
• rapid weight gain, or, conversely, drastic weight loss;
• frequent urination;
• decrease in working capacity;
• general weakness;
• dry skin;
• reduced visual acuity;
• skin itching and manifestations on the surface of the skin in the form of acne, dermatitis;
• violation of the menstrual cycle.

There is one more specific symptom that every woman should pay close attention to is the appearance of thrush. Candidiasis is usually a companion of diabetes in women. Therefore, a woman should be wary if there are such unpleasant symptoms on the part of the genital organs:

• unbearable itching;
• white, cheesy discharge with a characteristic odor;
• feeling of discomfort in the perineum, there may be redness and cramps in the vulva.

These extremely unpleasant symptoms make a woman go to an appointment with a gynecologist. But, unfortunately, this specialist usually prescribes treatment according to his profile, not recommending the patient to undergo an in-depth comprehensive examination.

Candidiasis in women is a separate, but very important topic. This pathology develops when the balance of the genital environment is disturbed. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus, and these microorganisms love to live in an alkaline environment. Sweet environment is favorable for their development and reproduction. Often, it takes months to treat thrush in women, and the disease returns. With such a relapsing course, you should always suspect diabetes. When the sugar index returns to normal, thrush usually disappears without a trace.

Therefore, any woman of mature age, when all the listed symptoms appear, should take the initiative herself and ask her to write out a direction for determining the level of sugar in the blood. This is especially true for women with weight problems.

Symptomatology in women with the first type of diabetes

This form is more common in young women under 30 years of age, although it is possible that mature women may suffer from this type. Children also have this form of diabetes. This type of diabetes differs from the previous one in that it is easier to diagnose. When a malfunction of the pancreas begins, negative symptoms immediately appear. The fact is that the first type is characterized by almost complete cessation of insulin production. Such a deficiency of an important hormone immediately leads to symptoms of decompensation. But if you keep sugar at a normal level, then you can prevent the development of complications of the disease in this form of diabetes.

The clinical picture is reduced to the manifestation of such symptoms:

• intense thirst;
• dry mouth;
• frequent urination;
• severe weight loss;
• increased appetite;
• dermatitis and other skin manifestations;
• painful appearance;
• smell of acetone from the mouth;
• irregular periods.

Sometimes the disease is of such a rapid nature that a coma develops and the patient is delivered to the intensive care unit by an ambulance.This condition is called ketoacidosis. If, in such a development of events, no emergency measures are taken, the woman may die.

The clinic of this life-threatening condition consists of aggravating all of the above symptoms, to which intense pain in the abdomen, vomiting, and upsetting of the stool are added. Acetone is a strong toxin, and therefore it poisons the body. With ketoacidosis, seconds decide everything. But, if these seconds are missed, then even the most experienced doctor will be powerless in such a situation.

Diabetes in pregnant women

Gestational diabetes is usually recognized on time, because every woman in a position must regularly take tests, including blood for sugar. The peak of insulin resistance during gestation is considered to be 2 trimester. If a woman is experiencing intense weight gain, or there are other indications, she is recommended to have a glucose tolerance test. Diabetes of pregnant women is more similar in its mechanism to the second type of diabetes. Very rarely observed type 1. High-risk groups include pregnant women who have:

• age over 40 years;
• there are sick diabetics in the family;
• was before pregnancy, overweight or obesity;
• earlier children were born with greater weight (more than 4.5 kg);
• there have been cases of stillbirth;
• great smoking history.

If from the above list at least one item has a place to be, it is necessary to make a test for glucose. Typically, this procedure is carried out at 25-37 weeks of pregnancy.

Hidden diabetes: symptoms

Perhaps, in relation to a specific disease, the term “hidden” sounds incorrectly, but in medicine such a concept exists. Latent forms always occur against the background of apparent well-being, and occasionally mild signs of malaise may be noted. It is this sluggish process that is a serious signal that indicates that not everything is in order in the body.

Even in the absence of obvious signs, many women complain of fatigue, a constant feeling of hunger, and great thirst. Often there is a brief blackout in the eyes. These episodes should be taken seriously because they are precursors of hypoglycemia - a drop in sugar levels. As a rule, diabetics eliminate this condition themselves, intuitively aware that they need to eat something sweet.A lump of sugar, a slice of chocolate usually balances the condition.

Episodes of hypoglycemia - these are only harbingers of the disease. They occur long before the appearance of the first outward signs. If such signals are given by an organism of complete persons, or it is alarming for a woman of advanced years, it is urgent to undergo a full examination. Young women with good appetite should also consult with an endocrinologist.

What are the consequences of diabetes?

In addition to this important area of ​​the female body, diabetes has a negative effect on the circulatory system, affects vision, and often leads to complete blindness.Often diabetes causes kidney disease. In about seven out of a dozen cases, diabetes is complicated by nephropathy. With diabetes, many metabolic processes are disturbed, and infectious diseases are long and difficult. Always accompanied by diabetes nerve disorders.

The risk of complications increases many times if the patient does not follow the recommendation of the doctor and neglects the rules that should become the norm for the life of the diabetic. Women should listen to their body and not ignore the signals that it sends.

Video: symptoms of diabetes