Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting millions of people around the world. It is an incurable disease and once diagnosed must take medication for life. Diabetes is caused by the failure of the pancreas to produce insulin to help in glucose metabolism. This defect causes glucose to remain in the blood stream and if left untreated for long periods of time, will cause secondary damage to the eyes, heart, liver, kidney and other important organs.

The symptoms of diabetes are often difficult to notice. You might just brush it aside because it doesn't cause pain and you always assume that it is something else that is giving you the symptom. Below are some of the symptoms of diabetes and if you have more than one sign, it is advisable to pay your doctor a visit to rule out the possibility of the disease.

* constantly feels hungry and thirsty and some degree of dehydration
* urinating frequently especially at night
* getting blurred vision over a short period of time
* easily feels tired and exhausted even while not doing anything
* takes a long time to heal cuts and bruises
* unexpectedly loose weight without going through weight reducing program
* numb feeling in your hands and feet
* continue getting gum or skin or bladder infection

Dehydration occurs because of body fluid is lost due to frequent urination. In more serious cases of diabetes it leads to a buildup of ketones in the blood. Ketones are acids which can poison the body. Ketocidosis will lead to diabetic coma and eventually death.

Some people may also experience dizziness at the onset of diabetes. This is related to the sense of balance of the body which involves the eyes, ears and brain. When diabetes is out of control it may also lead to fainting due to low blood glucose level (hypoglycemia) or high blood glucose level (hyperglycemia).

The risk of getting this disease is higher if your family has a history of it. If the symptoms of diabetes persist, consult your family doctor fast. Your doctor will do a fasting plasma glucose test to determine your blood glucose level. Your blood glucose level is high if the result is above 125 mg/dl. If this is the case, your doctor will perform a second test to confirm the first diagnosis before they can give you a prescription.