Yahoo answers type 1 fears
Roaming around the Internet in relation to type 1 brings up a lot of hits! First it's the facts, wikipedia, webmd, betterhealth- you know, reasonably accurate information. From there it goes downhill into the sensationalist articles and the supposed 'diabetes cures'.
But the you come across forums, blogs and yahoo answers. I was amazed to see so many questions about type 1, with masses of people fretting that they have it. As someone who can understand health anxiety, I can see why they may be concerned, but reading through these fears makes me feel so sorry for these people. So today I will make a comprehensive list (that by no means replaces the advice of a medical professional) to possibly ease the worries of those who think they may have type 1 diabetes.
1) If you are drinking a lot of water, you're not necessarily diabetic. You're quite possibly dehydrated. Trust me, if you have type 1 your water consumption is far beyond normal. I'm not talking a few bottles a day, I mean litres and litres at all hours. Before diagnosis I would get up during the night to either go to the bathroom, or get another glass of water at 2 in the morning
2) Tiredness. This symptom is often what people are so concerned about, that they feel rundown. What could possibly be causing this is stress, overwork anything. For me, when I was undiagnosed, it was a tiredness that didn't leave. I felt constantly heavy, drained and lethargic. However, this tiredness is almost identical to mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety so regardless, is important to check out. For me I became more anti-social, finding it difficult to sustain conversation with family and friends, to a point which goes far beyond the normal 'teen moodiness'
3) Weight loss seems to be the other major concern for a lot of people, usually consisting of around 2 or 3 kilos. Weight loss can be due to a number of things, and should always be checked out. I know that for me this weight loss was marked, despite the fact that I've always been thin. It got to a point where you feel revolting and look like death for lack of a better term. It's evident in my school photos in year 9 and 10, by year 10 I looked like a totally different person to the one prior.
4) Last of all, tingly feelings in your extremities. Now, this proves that it's psychological. This symptom is usually from high blood sugars over the course of a few years, not a few days/weeks. It may have just been me, but I was diagnosed with blood sugars over 40, and I didn't have this 'tingling'. I have however experienced this later on after starting insulin, when my levels rise into the 20s rapidly (I'm talking from 5 to 20 in half an hour here). People are getting the complications of diabetes confused with the actual symptoms
Please people of google, just go and see a doctor who will prick your finger and you'll know for sure. I know finding things out is scary, but really I always thought of it this way: Finding it and treating it is the better alternative! Worst case scenario, you end up like me!.... yeah I'd be a bit worried too... :)
But the you come across forums, blogs and yahoo answers. I was amazed to see so many questions about type 1, with masses of people fretting that they have it. As someone who can understand health anxiety, I can see why they may be concerned, but reading through these fears makes me feel so sorry for these people. So today I will make a comprehensive list (that by no means replaces the advice of a medical professional) to possibly ease the worries of those who think they may have type 1 diabetes.
1) If you are drinking a lot of water, you're not necessarily diabetic. You're quite possibly dehydrated. Trust me, if you have type 1 your water consumption is far beyond normal. I'm not talking a few bottles a day, I mean litres and litres at all hours. Before diagnosis I would get up during the night to either go to the bathroom, or get another glass of water at 2 in the morning
2) Tiredness. This symptom is often what people are so concerned about, that they feel rundown. What could possibly be causing this is stress, overwork anything. For me, when I was undiagnosed, it was a tiredness that didn't leave. I felt constantly heavy, drained and lethargic. However, this tiredness is almost identical to mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety so regardless, is important to check out. For me I became more anti-social, finding it difficult to sustain conversation with family and friends, to a point which goes far beyond the normal 'teen moodiness'
3) Weight loss seems to be the other major concern for a lot of people, usually consisting of around 2 or 3 kilos. Weight loss can be due to a number of things, and should always be checked out. I know that for me this weight loss was marked, despite the fact that I've always been thin. It got to a point where you feel revolting and look like death for lack of a better term. It's evident in my school photos in year 9 and 10, by year 10 I looked like a totally different person to the one prior.
4) Last of all, tingly feelings in your extremities. Now, this proves that it's psychological. This symptom is usually from high blood sugars over the course of a few years, not a few days/weeks. It may have just been me, but I was diagnosed with blood sugars over 40, and I didn't have this 'tingling'. I have however experienced this later on after starting insulin, when my levels rise into the 20s rapidly (I'm talking from 5 to 20 in half an hour here). People are getting the complications of diabetes confused with the actual symptoms
Please people of google, just go and see a doctor who will prick your finger and you'll know for sure. I know finding things out is scary, but really I always thought of it this way: Finding it and treating it is the better alternative! Worst case scenario, you end up like me!.... yeah I'd be a bit worried too... :)
Comments
Post a Comment