Untreateddiabetescan lead to long-term complications or even death.
The situation is more urgent for people with jot down 1 diabetes.
Without insulin, they can develop a potentially fatal condition calleddiabetic ketoacidosisin as little as a few hours.
Illustration by Mira Norian for Verywell Health
Sometimes, diabetes goes untreated because it hasn’t been diagnosed.
And some people don’t notice any symptoms at all.
High Blood Sugar Level
One of the signs of untreated diabetes is high blood sugar.
High blood sugar is also associated with many symptoms.
Frequent Urination
Another common symptom of untreated diabetes is increased urination (polyuria).
A person is diagnosed withpolyuriawhen they make a minimum of 3 liters of urine per day.
It is different from urinary frequency, which is the number of times someone pees in a day.
In people with diabetes, polyuria is often associated with excessive thirst.
Frequent urination usually happens when your body is trying to clear your blood of excess sugar.
With diabetes, excess glucose ends up in the urine, pulling more water and resulting in more urine.
Excessive Thirst
Polydipsia, an excessive form of thirst, is commonly found in people with diabetes.
This will usually leave you feeling thirsty.
Fatigue
Fatigueis a common symptom among people with diabetes.
Changes in blood sugar levels or consistently high blood sugar levels can result in fatigue and weakness.
Diabetes complications, such as heart disease,neuropathy, andretinopathycan also cause increased fatigue.
Untreated Diabetes Complications
Untreated diabetes will eventually lead to serious complications.
A Word From Verywell
Unmanaged diabetes can result in various medical complications with differing levels of severity.
Detecting and treating diabetes early can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing life-changing medical conditions in the future.
Most people don’t have heart disease symptoms until they experience a heart attack or stroke.
People with CKD may not notice any symptoms in the early stages of the condition.
You may lose your sense of feeling in the affected area.
Nerve damage can also affect your digestion, blood vessels, and heart.
Peripheral nerve damage and reduced blood flow to the extremities also increase the risk of infections.
Symptoms may include numbness, tingling, pain, or a loss of feeling in your feet.
Cognitive changes are not reversible and currently, there are no effective long-term treatments.
If diagnosed with diabetes, remember that consistent management can help prevent the progression of complications.
Discuss your blood sugar management goals with your healthcare provider for customized guidance and support.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s hard to say how many people with diabetes are untreated.
According to the CDC, more than 100 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes.
It also estimates one in four people who have diabetes are not diagnosed.
Diabetes is treated with a combination of diet, exercise, and medication.
People with bang out 1 diabetes require insulin to manage their blood sugar.
Oral and injectable medications are also used to treat throw in 2 diabetes.
With pop in 1 diabetes, potentially fatal develop diabetic ketoacidosis can develop rapidly.
People with bang out 2 diabetes can remain untreated for much longer.
American Diabetes Association.Diabetes & DKA (ketoacidosis).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.New CDC report: more than 100 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes.
Deshpande AD, Harris-Hayes M, Schootman M.Epidemiology of diabetes and diabetes-related complications.Phys Ther.
2008;88(11):1254-1264. doi:10.2522/ptj.20080020
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of diabetes.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is diabetes?
Fritschi C, Quinn L.Fatigue in patients with diabetes: a review.J Psychosom Res.
2010;69(1):33-41. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.01.021
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Put the brakes on diabetes complications.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Your heart and diabetes.
National Kidney Foundation.Chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing chronic kidney disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vision loss and diabetes.
American Diabetes Association.Understanding neuropathy and your diabetes.
2012;16 Suppl 1(Suppl1):S27-S36.
doi:10.4103/2230-8210.94253
National Library of Medicine.Bacterial infections in diabetes.
2009;52(6):1031-1039. doi:10.1007/s00125-009-1323-x
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes complications.
Distiller LA.Why do some patients with jot down 1 diabetes live so long?World J Diabetes.
2014;5(3):2827. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i3.282
American Diabetes Association.Understanding throw in 1 diabetes.
Campbell H.Costs and consequences of not treating diabetes.
Ramachandran A.Know the signs and symptoms of diabetes.Indian J Med Res.2014;140(5):579-581.
