I was asymptomatic and went for a bi-annual test because I have an identical twin brother with serious symptoms. Many years after he was symptomatic, a test showed my BSL to be just over the recommended max of 5mmol/litre. I had no symptoms.

Just one note: be very careful of anyone offering you information on what might be an indicative blood sugar reading until you know the measure being used. There are at least 2 I know of: mg/dl and mmol/L with the second being far more common outside the US. The spirit of the advice is sound, but you need to find out from a doctor what measure you use. There have been cases where confusion has led to serious complications.

Type 2′s often have NO symptoms and only find out because their doctor does a random blood sugar test as part of an annual exam, or because their in the hospital for surgery and get tested automatically, or have an infection and its not getting better.

Its often quite accidental the way they find out, and its because of the lack of symptoms early on in the disease.

Type 2 is a very sneaky disease. Most people have it for about 8 years before the symptoms get bad enough for them to ask their doctor about it.

That’s why I tell all my friends and family who are overweight or over 40 (or both) to get tested every year.

http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/type2_information/symptoms/

Not everyone with type 2 diabetes has symptoms, particularly in the early stages of the disease. In fact, one-third of the over 18 million Americans with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they have the disease.1

Type 2 diabetes symptoms may include one or more of the following:

Excessive thirst
Frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue, or a feeling of being “run down” and tired
Rapid breathing
Blurred vision
Dry, itchy skin
Headache
Tingling or burning pain in the feet, legs, hands, or other parts of the body
High blood pressure
Mood swings
Irritability, depression
Frequent or recurring infections, such as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and skin infections
Slow healing of cuts and bruises

Unlike type 1 diabetes, which frequently has a sudden onset of symptoms and reaches a crisis point before diagnosis is made, the signs of type 2 diabetes may be gradual and more insidious.

Often, the first symptoms that people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes experience are those from complications of the disease, such as blurry vision (retinopathy) or foot pain (neuropathy).

If you’re experiencing any of the type 2 diabetes symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately for medical evaluation.

SOURCE:

National Institutes of Health. One Third of Diabetes Sufferers Unaware of Having the Disease. (Accessed 2/11/08).

The Muse

I was diagnosed only because I took a blood sugar test just to be taking one. Imagine my surprise when the numbers came out insanely high.

So yes, you may not show symptoms in the beginning and still be diabetic. Please don’t wait for symptoms to manifest themselves before you go see a doctor. The consequences are not good.