Symptoms
What your body might be telling you, before and after being diagnosed.
When your body isn’t managing blood sugar the way it should, it gives you warning signs. Symptoms can look similar across the different types of diabetes, but in type 1 they usually show up faster and more suddenly than in type 2 or MODY.
Common symptoms
These are the most frequent signs — especially in type 1, where they can come on quickly.
What you might notice
- Very thirsty
- Hungrier than usual
- Peeing more often, including at night
- Dry mouth
- Unintentional weight loss
- Feeling tired, weak, or low in energy
- Mood and behavior changes (e.g., irritability)
- Fruity-smelling breath
Other things to watch for
- Blurry vision
- Cuts and wounds taking longer to heal
- Frequent infections
- Impaired growth
Periods and blood sugar
Hormones can shift things — for some people more than others.
Periods can affect blood sugar in different ways. For some girls it makes a noticeable difference; for others it doesn’t. Hormone changes — especially progesterone — can cause a kind of insulin resistance.
🩸 Patterns you might see
- Blood sugar rising 3–5 days before your period, then settling back after
- Blood sugar dropping before your period
- No clear pattern at all
📝 What can help
- Check your blood sugar a bit more often around your period
- Keep simple notes to spot your own pattern over a few cycles
➡️ Up next
Symptoms don’t stop at diagnosis. Once you’re living with diabetes, blood sugar can swing high or low in ways that need quick recognition. That’s covered in the next chapter: Recognizing Highs, Lows & Emergencies.
TeenHealthInsight is a health education website — not a substitute for medical advice. Any questions or worries about your medication, devices, or daily care should be brought to your doctor. Learn here, decide there — always loop in your diabetes team before changing anything you do.