Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that occurs when your blood sugar or glucose, is too high (hyperglycemia). Glucose is what the body uses for energy, and the pancreas produces a hormone called insulin that helps convert the glucose from the food you eat into energy. When the body does not produce enough insulin - or does not any at all - the glucose does not reach your cells to be used for energy. This results in type 1 and 2 diabetes.





According to the CDC, 30 million (9.4% of the US population), and 7.2 million Americans don't know that they have diabetes.

The study indicates the death rate for women with diabetes didn’t improve. In addition, the difference in death rates between female who had diabetes and those who didn’t more than doubled.

The death rate was higher among women, but there has been a shift in sex distribution of type 2 diabetes showing higher rates in men. The findings emphasize how diabetes affects women and men differently.





Diabetes isn't just one disease. There are actually three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Most people with diabetes have type 2, it happens when the body doesn't use insulin well and is unable to keep your blood sugar stable, per the CDC.

Type 1 diabetes is much less common, only about 5% of those with diabetes have type 1, and it's essentially an autoimmune disease where your body stops making insulin at all.





And gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women, it usually goes away after you give birth, but it can increase your likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes later on, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.





Some of the complications of diabetes in women are more difficult to diagnose.

Women often receive less aggressive treatment for cardiovascular risk factors and conditions related to diabetes. Hormones and inflammation act differently in women. Women often have different kinds of heart disease than men.





There are two types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes,

formerly called juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune condition in which the body does not produce insulin because the body's immune system attacks insulin-producing cells from the pancreas called beta cells.

Type 2 diabetes

in this type, cells cannot use blood sugar (glucose) efficiently for energy. This occurs when blood sugar gets too high over time, and the cells become insensitive to insulin.

Prediabetes (pre-diabetes) is a condition that often precedes type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is higher than normal, but not quite high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Prediabetes does not usually have any symptoms so there may be no warning signs. A blood test can confirm if you have prediabetes.

If a person does not change their foods and lifestyle, prediabetes can become type 2 diabetes.





Signs and Symptoms of diabetes.

Types 1 and 2 symptoms

In the early stages of diabetes, symptoms may be easy to ignore. They tend to become progressively worse day by day. It's important to consult any early diabetes symptoms with a professional, even when they aren’t bothersome.





Urinary tract infections.

A UTI occurs when bacteria enter anywhere in the urinary tract, including the urethra, ureters, kidneys, and bladder. They are much more common in women than in men in general, and they occur more often in people with diabetes because the sugar in the urine presents a breeding ground for bacterial growth.





Common sign and symptoms of diabetes include:

Frequent urination

Increased hunger and thirst

Blood sugar fluctuations, which can lead to irritability, feeling unwell, and fainting.

Unexplained weight loss (type 1)

Weight gain (type 2)

Other symptoms that may develop as the disease progresses include:

Long, irregular menstrual cycles

Very heavy and long periods

Cuts and bruises that heal slowly

Blurred vision

Recurrent yeast infections

Fatigue





You have to pee all the time.

When you have excess sugar coursing through your blood stream, your body instinctively tries to get rid of it. Water follows sugar, so you end up having high-volume urine loss.

If you notice you’re suddenly peeing a lot, and more often, for no real reason—especially if you’re waking up a few times during the night to go—it’s time to talk to your doctor.





Hunger and fatigue.

Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But your cells need insulin to take in glucose. If your body doesn't make enough or any insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body makes, the glucose can't get into them and you have no energy. This can make you hungrier and more tired than usual.





Your breath smells awful.

Diabetes-related dehydration contributes to dry mouth, and the bad breath that can accompany it. After all, with dry mouth, there's not enough spit to wash away bacteria and balance the pH in your mouth.

What’s more, undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes can trigger ketosis, a process in which the body uses fat, rather than glucose, for energy. Ketosis releases a chemical byproduct called ketones, which can make your breath smell unpleasantly sweet or fruity, sometimes it might even smell like acetone, since that's a type of ketone. Unless you're on a keto diet it's worth talking to your doctor.





Vaginal and oral yeast infections.

An overgrowth of yeast caused by the Candida fungus can cause vaginal yeast infections, oral yeast infections, and vaginal thrush. These infections are common in women.

When infection develops in the vaginal area, symptoms include:

itching itching

painful sex

vaginal discharge

soreness

Oral yeast infections often cause a white coating on the tongue and inside the mouth. High levels of glucose in the blood trigger the growth of fungus.





Peeing more often and being thirstier.

The average person usually has to pee between four and seven times in 24 hours, but people with diabetes may go a lot more. Normally, your body reabsorbs glucose as it passes through your kidneys. But when diabetes pushes your blood sugar up, your kidneys may not be able to bring it all back in. This causes the body to make more urine, and that takes fluids. The result: You'll have to go more often. You might pee out more, too. Because you're peeing so much, you can get very thirsty. When you drink more, you'll also pee more.





Urinary infections

The risk of a urinary tract infection (UTI) is higher in women who have diabetes. UTIs develop when bacteria enter the urinary tract. These can cause:

burning sensation

painful urination

bloody or cloudy urine

There’s the risk of a kidney infection if these symptoms aren’t treated.

UI TIs are common in women with diabetes mostly due to the immune system being compromised because of hyperglycemia. TIs are common in women with diabetes mostly due to the immune system being compromised because of hyperglycemia.





Blurred vision.

Changing fluid levels in your body could make the lenses in your eyes swell up. They change shape and can’t focus





Dry mouth and itchy skin.

Because your body is using fluids to make pee, there's less moisture for other things. You could get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can make you itchy.



