Overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are not physically active and are overweight or have obesity. Extra weight sometimes causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type 2 diabetes. The location of body fat also makes a difference.
But in some people, diabetes can rapidly develop because of a problem in the pancreas, instead of the diabetes causing damage to the pancreas in the long run. These problems can include chronic inflammation of the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, and pancreatic cancer.
Type 1 diabetes symptoms can develop in just a few weeks or months and can be severe. Type 1 diabetes usually starts when you're a child, teen, or young adult but can happen at any age.
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop very quickly in young people (over a few hours or days).
Also, research studies suggest that new-onset diabetes in people over 50 may be an early symptom of pancreatic cancer. A sudden change in blood sugar levels in diabetics who previously had well-controlled diabetes may also be a sign of pancreatic cancer.
People with diabetes are at increased risk for liver, pancreatic, colorectal, endometrial, breast and bladder cancer.
Stress doesn't cause diabetes but it can affect your blood sugar levels and how you look after your condition. Having diabetes to manage on top of life's normal ups and downs can itself be a cause of stress.
Early detection and treatment can reverse the condition and prevent type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, in which the body doesn't use insulin properly, is on the rise in the United States. There are more than 35 million people with the condition, and many are diagnosed when they are young, even in adolescence.
Type 2 diabetes doesn't usually appear all of a sudden. Many people have a long, slow, invisible lead-in to it called prediabetes. During this period, blood sugar levels are higher than normal.
Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times. It could be a result of stress, hard work or a lack of a decent night's sleep but it could also be related to having too high or too low blood glucose levels.
Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days. Weight loss is common in people with type 1 diabetes when it first develops and before it's treated, but it's less common in people with type 2 diabetes.
The warning signs can be so mild that you don't notice them. That's especially true of type 2 diabetes. Some people don't find out they have it until they get problems from long-term damage caused by the disease. With type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually happen quickly, in a matter of days or a few weeks.
Though we know sugar doesn't directly cause type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to get it if you are overweight. You gain weight when you take in more calories than your body needs, and sugary foods and drinks contain a lot of calories.
Diabetic dermopathy
This condition is also known as shin spots, and it's harmless. The spots look like red or brown round patches or lines in the skin and are common in people with diabetes. They appear on the front of your legs (your shins) and are often confused with age spots. The spots don't hurt, itch, or open up.
You can have prediabetes for years without symptoms. This means you likely won't know you have prediabetes until serious health problems show up. Talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk factors for prediabetes, including: Being overweight.
One in three US adults isn't getting enough sleep, and over time, this can increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression.
Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.
There are three main ways drinking alcohol to excess can be a factor in causing diabetes: Regular heavy drinking can reduce the body's sensitivity to insulin, which can trigger type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a common side effect of chronic pancreatitis, which may be caused by heavy drinking.
Given the importance of the pancreas as an organ, you might think living without one is impossible – like trying to live without a heart. But you can in fact live without a pancreas.
When cancer develops in the pancreas, it damages the tissue. You pancreas may not be release insulin properly, or your pancreas may not release enough insulin. This may lead to diabetes because your body's cells may not be able to use the blood sugar molecules properly.
If you have a mother, father, sister, or brother with diabetes, you are more likely to get diabetes yourself. You are also more likely to have prediabetes. Talk to your doctor about your family health history of diabetes.