Type 2 diabetes is becoming a pandemic in the United States. It’s important to know the symptoms so you can begin caring for yourself sooner rather than later. Diabetic symptoms in men are very close to what women see in their diabetic symptoms. In men, type 2 diabetes is what more than 95% of those diagnosed have. And more than ever, it is being found at younger ages every year. Just as juvenile diabetes has begun being referred to as type 1 diabetes; it is no longer really appropriate to call type 2 diabetes “adult onset” diabetes. It used to be that type 2 diabetes wasn’t seen in men until around the mid forties, well into their adulthood. Now it isn’t at all uncommon to see men in their 20’s being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Symptoms in men include:

  • Increase urination frequency
  • Increased hunger – which is particularly bothersome because being overweight contributes to type 2 diabetes and complicates things more
  • Increased thirst
  • Blurry vision
  • Numbness in the feet and hands, tingling in the extremities
  • Urinary tract infections that become more frequent than what could be considered normal
  • Unusual or unexplained fatigue

 

These symptoms are the same as can appear in women. But the most troubling diabetic symptoms in men have to do with sexual function. Erectile dysfunction and some loss of libido are common diabetic symptoms in men. These same symptoms can present in older men when they begin experiencing prostate trouble, or high blood pressure. But it is not common in men under 40 years of age. So a younger man experiencing sexual dysfunction should get over the possible embarrassment and go talk to their doctor. Something is at the root of this problem in younger men, and diabetes is a likely culprit.

This one difference alone may help a younger man get to the doctor for a simple diabetes urine test or a blood test. And if it appears with some of the other diabetic symptoms in men over age 50, it may help to narrow down the problem and point more to diabetes rather than a prostate condition. Either way, you need to take care of yourself and find out what the problem is.

Not all diabetes needs to be treated with insulin, and you may very well be able to control your condition with diet and lifestyle changes. And controlling your blood sugar level if you are diabetic may well help you get back your healthy sex life and enjoy an intimate relationship for many years to come. It’s important to control blood sugar for all genders if you’re diabetic. In men, it takes on an added significance, and affects your life as well as your partners.

 

What Other Complications Can Diabetes Cause?

 

You want to watch out for these diabetic symptoms in men and begin treating your diabetes, if you have it, because it will make you more susceptible to heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, amputations, stroke, and more likely to die at a younger age if blood sugar is not controlled. Although women have an overall higher rate of diabetes, men have a little bit more to lose.