Symptoms Of Diabetes |
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The typical symptoms of diabetes are absent in early or mild cases. Severe disease may cause copious urination, excessive thirst and hunger, tiredness, weight loss, itching, blurred vision, and skin infection. Older people have fewer symptoms, and they can usually be controlled by diet or by pills. Younger patients have unstable sugar balance, may become ill rapidly, and need insulin injections. The disorder may be suspected by the patient or his physician from the nature of his symptoms, or a routine urine test may reveal sugar and indicate a moderately severe case. Normally the blood glucose ranges between 80 and 120 mg. per 100 cc. of blood after 12 hours without food. Definite elevation on more than one blood sample to more than 140 mg. establishes the diagnosis. Estimating the value two hours after a meal generous in starch is even more conclusive. When the diagnosis is in question, a glucose tolerance test is performed. The blood sugar is measured before, and hourly for several hours after, taking a large amount of glucose. This test indicates the body's efficiency in disposing of sugar and permits the doctor to determine definitely whether the disease is present or not. Mild diabetes may exist even though the urine test is not positive. Even if sugar is present, the doctor must rule out other possible causes, such as spilling of non glucose sugars, drug administration, kidney, and nervous diseases. The fact that other members of the family have had diabetes often suggests the diagnosis in the person under consideration. |
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