How fast can diabetes occur

High blood sugar is damaging to the body and causes many of the symptoms and complications of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes previously called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults, but it can develop at any age.

Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction the body attacks itself by mistake that destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, called beta cells. This process can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear. Being exposed to a trigger in the environment, such as a virus, is also thought to play a part in developing type 1 diabetes. It can take months or years for enough beta cells to be destroyed before symptoms of type 1 diabetes are noticed.

Type 1 diabetes symptoms can develop in just a few weeks or months. Once symptoms appear, they can be severe. Some type 1 diabetes symptoms are similar to symptoms of other health conditions.

Untreated diabetes can lead to very serious—even fatal—health problems. Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are not as clear as for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, though family history is known to play a part. A simple blood test will let you know if you have diabetes. If your doctor thinks you have type 1 diabetes, your blood may also be tested for autoantibodies substances that indicate your body is attacking itself that are often present with type 1 diabetes but not with type 2.

You may have your urine tested for ketones produced when your body burns fat for energy , which also indicate type 1 diabetes instead of type 2. Unlike many health conditions, diabetes is managed mostly by you, with support from your health care team including your primary care doctor, foot doctor, dentist, eye doctor, registered dietitian nutritionist, diabetes educator, and pharmacist , family, teachers, and other important people in your life.

Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. You may be able to reduce your chances for developing type 2 diabetes by managing your diet and staying active. However, genetics and other risk factors may increase your risk despite your best effort. Even if you have a diagnosis of diabetes, you can live a full life. Read this article in Spanish. Your body creates blood sugar from the food you eat. Learn about this process and what affects your blood sugar. Foods and drinks to avoid with diabetes can range from white rice to flavored coffee.

Learn about others, how they affect your health, and more. Since diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels, many people wonder if sugar can cause it. If you have diabetes, what you drink matters. Learn more about which beverages are best and worst for someone with diabetes.

Choosing healthy snacks can be difficult when you have diabetes. Here are the 21 best snack ideas for those with diabetes. The risk factors for type 2 diabetes are complex and range from genetic to environmental to lifestyle choices. Learn more. My diagnosis was a wake-up call. It was time to take care of my health. Learn more about its symptoms, causes, and treatment.

I learned that the best type 2 diabetes diet is the one that works for you. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Type 2 Diabetes. Do I Have Diabetes? Warning signs of diabetes. A child may experience these additional symptoms: sudden, unintentional weight loss wetting the bed after a history of being dry at night a yeast infection in a prepubescent girl flu-like symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, breath that smells like fruit, problems breathing, and loss of consciousness Flu-like symptoms are caused when undiagnosed diabetes causes ketones to build up in the bloodstream.

Other warning signs of type 2 You may not notice sudden symptoms of type 2 diabetes, but the warning signs listed above may alert you to an underlying condition. Some people with type 1 have a "honeymoon" period, a brief remission of symptoms while the pancreas is still secreting some insulin.

The honeymoon phase usually occurs after someone has started taking insulin. A honeymoon can last as little as a week or even up to a year. The pancreas will eventually be unable to secrete insulin, and, if untreated, the symptoms will return. The young child who is urinating frequently, drinking large quantities, losing weight, and becoming more and more tired and ill is the classic picture of a child with new-onset type 1 diabetes.

If a child who is potty-trained and dry at night starts having accidents and wetting the bed again, diabetes might be the culprit. Raising the awareness that young children, including infants, can get type 1 diabetes can help parents know when to check for type 1 diabetes. Sometimes children can be in diabetic ketoacidosis DKA when they are diagnosed with diabetes.

When there is a lack of insulin in the body, the body can build up high levels of an acid called ketones. DKA is a medical emergency that usually requires hospitalization and immediate care with insulin and IV fluids.

After diagnosis and early in treatment, some children may go through a phase where they seem to be making enough insulin again. It may seem like diabetes has been cured, but over time they will require appropriate doses of insulin to keep their blood sugar levels in the normal range.

When an adult is diagnosed with diabetes, they are often mistakenly told that they have type 2 diabetes. This is because there may be a lack of understanding by some doctors that type 1 diabetes can start at any age, and in people of every race, shape and size.

People with type 1 diabetes who have elevated blood glucose and classic risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as being overweight or physically inactive, are often misdiagnosed.