When you have diabetes, the amount of glucose (a simple sugar that is the body’s main source of fuel) in your blood is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it, but excessive amounts are not good for your health.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, the less common form of the disorder, occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then loses its ability to produce an adequate supply of insulin.

Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear suddenly and develop most often in children and young adults. See your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • increased thirst,
  • frequent urination,
  • constant hunger,
  • abdominal pain,
  • nausea,
  • weight loss,
  • blurred vision,
  • fatigue.

Type 2 Diabetes

The more common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. Ninety to 95 percent of people with diabetes have this form. In people with type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces insulin, but the body’s cells cannot effectively use it. The end result is the same as that in type 1 diabetes: an unhealthy buildup of the sugar glucose in the blood and the body’s inability to make efficient use of its main source of fuel.

Warning Signs of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of the disease. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually and are not as noticeable as those of type 1 diabetes. See your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms:

  • frequent urination, especially at night,
  • unusual thirst,
  • weight loss,
  • blurred vision,
  • fatigue,
  • frequent infections,
  • slow healing of sores.