Why Are Diabetics Always Tired?

Every year, diabetes impacts the lives of millions of Americans. For many years, there was little that one could do if they had the disease. Today, however, unlike in years past, there are drugs and treatments available to treat the disease so that a diabetic can live a pretty much normal life.

Diabetes is often triggered by an insulin deficiency. With such a deficiency, your body is no longer able to store or use glucose. If the body can use it, the only recourse is to hold it in the bloodstream until it can eliminate it. Normally, the kidneys can handle excess glucose in the bloodstream by filtering it out. However, when the glucose level reaches 180 mg/dl or above, a tipping point is reached. At this point the kidneys are overloaded and can no longer perform their filtering function. The excess glucose, having nowhere else to go, begins to enter the bloodstream. It's at this point that diabetes complications usually start to occur.

Generally, because of the excess glucose in their bloodstream, diabetics experiences some common symptoms. One of the more prevalent ones is that they become extremely thirsty and as a result have to urinate a lot. The reason is that glucose causes water to be extracted from the blood which is then excreted from the body in the form of urine. The loss of water from the blood leads to dehydration and feelings of thirst. Too frequent urination can be a problem because along with the excess glucose, the urine is also carrying out sodium and potassium, important nutrients for the body.

Another symptom that you'll often hear people with diabetes express is a feeling of fatigue. It's not surprising because of the effect that glucose has on the body. Normally, the food that people eat is converted into glucose. The insulin in the body then converts the glucose into a fuel source that can be used to power the body. A person with diabetes, however, because they have insulin problems, the glucose in their body can't be converted to energy. In other words, they have no power - no energy. It's like putting gasoline into a car where the carburetor or fuel-injector is not working. The car has plenty of fuel, but is unable to convert it into useable form.

A woman who is having vaginal infections and is at a loss to understand why, may want to be tested for diabetes. The reason is that the deficiency in insulin cause glucose level to rise in the blood, including vaginal secretions. Fungi and bacteria love high glucose areas of the body, it's an excellent food source for them, making it the perfect environment for them to grow.

One of the sad things about this disease is that less than a half of the people with diabetes are aware that they have it. Diabetes, untreated, can lead to serious difficulties such as glaucoma, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, and more. Of course, if someone is unaware that they have it, they can't begin treatment. To be tested for diabetes is no longer a big deal. In fact, many doctors include it as part of a normal yearly physical exam. Ignoring a disease that is so easily treated is a mistake that no one should make.

By: Alice Saracho

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Alice Saracho is webmaster and writer of www.diabetescausestreatments.com. Visit her site and read her articles on low cost diabetic testing supplies as well as other diabetes related information and products.