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Diabetes 2: signs of diabetes in women

Post natal diabetes 2

I suffered post natal diabetes 2 after a late pregnancy.
I can describe the sugar low’s as panic attacks!
Then the highs made me feel extremely exhausted!
– Charmaine Nezar Coetzee

‘Post natal diabetes’ can also be called gestational diabetes): when diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes (also called diabetes 2), which develops after pregnancy.

Signs of diabetes in women

It’s important to know the symptoms of diabetes: the signs of diabetes in women. There are 5 common symptoms of diabetes – if you experience any of these, it’s a good idea to get your blood sugar checked at your local clinic or pharmacy. The common symptoms are:

  1. Extreme thirst
  2. Extreme hunger
  3. Needing to pee a lot, especially at night
  4. Exhaustion
  5. Blurry vision

Many women also say one of the signs of diabetes is repeated yeast infections that don’t clear up. If you suspect you may have diabetes, please get your blood sugar checked. Type 2 diabetes is reversible if you are diagnosed early enough, and perfectly manageable if you are diagnosed later.

Of course, the signs of diabetes in women are often very similar (or the same) as the signs of diabetes in men. But many more women in South Africa die of diabetes complications.

If you are struggling with your diabetes, or suspect you may have diabetes, please join us on Diabetic South Africans on Facebook – it’s a space to connect with other people with diabetes, get information and share advice. We are all in this together!

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One Comment

  1. Lyn Starck Lyn Starck

    Gestational Diabetes commonly does not settle after pregnancy or comes back in later years as the pregnancy often is the trigger for latent Diabetes
    The exhaustion you feel with highs is because not sufficient glucose is getting into cells and muscle so there is no energy
    The lows can present in people in different ways and one of them is “panic attacks” as insufficient glucose in brain as well as the release of all the stress hormones e.g.cortisol and adrenaline leads to the shakiness etc
    Hope you are doing well
    Regards
    Lyn Starck

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