We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Diabetes is a very common condition that affects almost five million people in the UK alone. On World Diabetes Day (Saturday November 14 2020), Express Health explains the most common warning signs of diabetes, and when you should see a doctor.

Somebody in the world is diagnosed with diabetes every two minutes, according to charity Diabetes UK.

Each week, diabetes causes almost 700 strokes, more than 500 heart attacks, and up to 2,000 cases of heart failure.

About one in every 15 people in the UK have diabetes, but many people may not even know that they’re at risk of the condition.

That’s because the symptoms can be easily confused with something less serious.

There are seven key symptoms of diabetes that you should be looking out for.

Many diabetes patients find that they start going to the toilet more often than normal – particularly at night.

Others start to feel increasingly thirsty, even after drinking lots of fluids, while some develop persistent tiredness.

Weight loss, genital itchiness and blurred vision could all be signs of diabetes, too.

DON’T MISS
Type 2 diabetes: Best and worst breakfast foods [ANALYSIS]
Berberine may rival diabetes drug in lowering your blood sugar levels [STUDY]
Diabetes: The differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes [RESEARCH]

If you have any cuts or wounds that take longer to heal than normal, you may also be at risk of the high blood sugar condition.

But just because you develop any of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have diabetes.

Many of the signs may also be caused by something less serious.

For example, tiredness could also simply be caused by not getting enough sleep, or by working too long hours.

“Having some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes doesn’t mean you definitely have the condition, but you should always contact your GP, just to make sure,” said the charity.

“These symptoms occur because some or all of the glucose stays in the blood, and isn’t being used as fuel for energy.

“The body tries to reduce blood glucose levels by flushing the excess glucose out of the body in the urine.

“High levels of glucose being passed in the urine are a perfect breeding ground for the fungal infection which causes thrush.”

Not everybody with diabetes develops symptoms, however, which can make diagnosing the condition particularly difficult.

Around 60 per cent of all diabetes patients haven’t got any symptoms when they’re diagnosed.

But if you develop any of the signs of diabetes, you should consider speaking to a doctor.

Your symptoms are more likely to be caused by diabetes if you have at least two other common warning signs of the condition.

Source: Read Full Article