Symptoms of type 1 diabetes typically develop over a short period of time. With type 2 diabetes, symptoms generally develop at a slower pace. Sometimes people have only mild symptoms or do not experience symptoms at all. It is not uncommon for a woman to have type 2 diabetes for 10 years or more before being diagnosed.

For this reason, it is important for women at risk to be aware of the symptoms. Symptoms of diabetes may include:

• Frequent urination (polyuria)
• Excessive thirst (polydipsia)
• Extreme hunger (polyphagia)
• Unexplained weight loss
• Increased fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurry vision
• Slow-healing sores
• Frequent infections, including yeast infections, urinary tract infections, skin infections and thrush
• Dry, itchy skin (pruritus)
• Numbness or tingling in hands or feet
• Red, swollen or tender gums or gingivitis

Dark, velvety patches in the folds of the skin may indicate a skin disease called acanthosis nigricans, which often involves insulin resistance, polycystic ovarian syndrome or diabetes.

Symptoms vary from person to person and can also be caused by many other conditions. Women experiencing any of these symptoms are encouraged to see a physician.

Women should be aware that certain complications may cause different symptoms as compared to men. A woman who suffers a heart attack, for instance, may have less typical symptoms. Women are less likely than men to feel severe chest pain and are more likely to report a feeling of severe heartburn in the upper abdomen or pain in the breast.

Unless a woman is familiar with these atypical symptoms, she may delay getting to the hospital. Because cardiovascular conditions are common among patients with diabetes, women should learn all they can about specific complications that can occur.