There are three symptoms of type 2 diabetes that are common to almost anyone suffering from this disease. Brought on by unhealthy nutritional choices, a lack of exercise, and an overindulgence in glucose elevating foods for prolonged periods of time, these symptoms are a sign to patients that it is time to not only visit a doctor and get tested for the possibility of having developed the disease, but also to ascertain the severity if indeed it is present.

1. Frequent urination is a primary sign of adult onset diabetes. It occurs because the high glucose levels make the re-absorption of water by the kidneys next to impossible, thus eliminating it together with other waste from the body. This leads to a loss of a lot of liquids from the body, and you may find that you are becoming severely dehydrated. This may lead to odd cravings for sugary drinks — since you are also losing glucose — as well as pronounced headaches due to a loss of needed electrolytes.
2. The mirroring system is an increase in thirst. It is easy during he hot summer months to mistake this is a natural bodily response to sweating or heat, but this kind of thirst cannot be quenched simply by drinking fluids, and instead it will be just as bad a few minutes after drinking a glass of water as it was before. This is the tip off that this kind of thirst is not your average, normal craving for water stemming from a dehydration brought on by rising temperatures.
3. Mood swings are also commonly part and parcel of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. By themselves they may mimic premenstrual symptoms or also pre-menopausal feelings of irritability, but when taken in context with frequent feelings of dehydration and perhaps also much more frequent than normal urination, the odds are good that these mood swings are directly related to the hormonal imbalance in the body that is causing the insulin resistance.
4. In some cases patients present with a ravenous appetite for food items that are known to contain high levels of carbohydrates. The body may seek to make up for the loss of glucose that is experienced when the ingested carbohydrates fail to be properly metabolized. The result of this shortage leads to an inability to store energy within the liver for future cell use in between meals and thus as the cells are in need of energy, they signal the body to send out stimuli suggestion that you heighten your food intake. The problem with this symptom can be seen in the fact that in addition to the glucose the cells require you will also ingest fat and protein which are not needed by the body at this time but which will be nonetheless stored in the form of fat, thus making the situation even worse.

It is vital to remember that some of these symptoms may spawn other related symptoms which might fool you into believing that the diagnosis should be different. Be open minded and trust that the results of your blood work may hint at a number of different problems rather than just the one you might have had anticipated. Treatment for diabetes can save your life, but you must cooperate.