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Many will report being fatigued and tired all the time, despite getting a normal amount of sleep. Diabetics often have infections that don't seem to heal like you would expect.

In the later stages, diabetes can cause blood circulation in the feet to be reduced, as well as damage to the eyes. These later two symptoms signal a very severe and long term diabetic and extreme measures must be taken to correct blood sugar levels in these patients or they risk permanent damage to their feet and eyes. Type I diabetics can have a severe reaction to the lack of insulin. Know as Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) this is a very serious medical emergency seen in Type I diabetics which requires urgent treatment. Children who do in to DKA will pass in to a coma, or have severely lowered levels of consciousness.

Diabetes can only be diagnosed with the help of you doctor. If your doctor suspects you may have diabetes, he or she can do several easy tests to determine if you are at risk for diabetes. The first test, and least accurate, is a random glucose test. Because your blood glucose levels naturally fluctuate during the day, this test is the best to diagnose diabetes. It's better to do a fasting blood glucose test. With this test, you don't eat for a period of time, and you blood glucose level is checked at the end of the fast. This test needs to be done more than once for proper evaluation.

Another test commonly done to diagnose diabetes is called a glucose tolerance test. With this test the doctor has the patient drink a set amount of glucose. Blood tests are then done at specified times after taking the glucose. The doctor is then able to determine how fast your body is able to absorb the glucose, which is a function of how much insulin you are able to make naturally, and how well your body responds to that insulin.

There are several treatments for diabetes.

For Type I diabetics, there is no other choice but to take insulin injections. If the insulin is not being made by your pancreas, no amount of diet control or exercise will help.

Treatment for Type II diabetics is much more complicated. The first step in treatment is to attempt to control blood glucose levels by eating well, increasing the amount of exercise you get and loosing weight. These are generally good ideas for most people, but they are especially important for diabetics.

If diet and exercise are not enough, there are various medications available for Type II diabetics. These medications have various effects. Some will increase the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas, while others will enhance the ability of cells to respond to what insulin is already present. Lastly, should all other measures fail, patients can be given insulin injections. This is usually a last choice as the dosing of insulin is difficult over a long period of time.

If you have any questions regarding either type of diabetes, be sure to talk with your doctor. Diabetes is becoming more and more common in America and western Europe. The best way to avoid this devastating problem is to get ahead of it and prevent it before it starts.

Learn more about this author, Erich Rosenberger M.D..
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