Question:
I am a bit confused. For a while, I've had tingling and numbness in my hands
and feet (not severe) I urinate frequently, and have lots of mood swings. I had
an abrasion on my cheek that took a MONTH to heal, and had a urinary tract
infection last year (I'm told this is unusual for men) as well aa strange
fungal infection of the skin on my chest. Yes, I've been told that these sound
like classic symptoms of type 2 diabetes, but the problem is that I am only 19
years old. According to everything I have read, you really can't develop type 2
diabetes until something like after 45...Aren't I a little young?? My grandpa
died at the age of thirty from diabetes complications.Diabetes type 2?? Am I at risk?? I'm not
overweight (in fact I am underweight, 5'8 and 115 lbs)
Answer:
It is not true that Type 2 diabetes occurs only in the "after 45"
crowd. However, your profile doesn't sound typical of younger Type
2's.
There are a couple dozen known causes of diabetes. Type 1 and Type 2
are just handy categories. For example, there is such a thing as
slow-onset Type 1 diabetes, which could fit your symptoms.
There is one really clever thing your could do: Just get yourself
tested. You really don't even need to see a doctor. Just find a
diabetic friend and ask to borrow their meter for a few tests. Read
the FAQ for this website to learn what normal blood sugar ranges
are, and then compare to the readings you get from your friend's
meter. If they are too high, then get to a doctor pronto. If not, then
look for some other cause for your symptoms.
I test my non-diabetic friends all the time. Only once did I discover
an undiagnosed diabetic. Still, I may have saved him godawful
complications by getting him to a doctor before problems developed.
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