A doctor has issued a warning over a red flag early symptom of diabetes that shows up at night.
In light of World Diabetes Day today (14 November), LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor GP Dr Patel revealed a number of common illness symptoms to look out for including fatigue or even being thirsty which may be cause for concern.
Different types of diabetes
Dr Patel also outlined the differences between the two main types of diabetes explaining: "Type 1 diabetes is where your body does not produce insulin. There is no way to prevent this type of diabetes and its exact cause is currently unknown.
"Type 2 diabetes is where your body does not make enough insulin, or the insulin you do produce does not function properly. This type of diabetes usually comes on in adulthood and can be affected by lifestyle choices as well as other factors."
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The doctor also warned that diabetes 'sometimes goes undetected' as some of the symptoms go unnoticed, adding: "However, it’s best to identify diabetes earlier so that you can avoid later complications or potentially avoid developing diabetes altogether."
Symptoms
Now, major symptoms of diabetes include; being unusually thirsty, feeling fatigued, losing weight without trying to, thrush or itchy genitals and cuts taking longer to heal.
Dr Patel also highlighted a symptom which shows up 'especially' during the nighttime - passing urine more often than usual.
They also explained that 'generally', people who are overweight or obese are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
"Specifically, people with an unhealthy waistline measurement and those who store too much fat around their pancreas and liver can be at high risk," Dr Patel continued.
"Certain ethnicities also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People from Black African, African Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds are generally at a higher risk."
Treatment
The doctor also warned that the health condition can be 'very dangerous' if it goes untreated with diabetes complications including; sight loss. foot problems like chronic ulcers, heart attack or stroke, kidney problems, nerve damage and gum disease.
Dr Patel said: "If proper treatment is provided and the diabetes is managed, you should be able to live a healthy and normal life. The best way to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is to improve your overall health by choosing a healthy lifestyle.
"One of the biggest factors that can help is losing weight. This can be done through increasing your physical activity and eating healthier balanced meals. If your waist size is over 31.5 inches for a woman, or 37 inches for a man, you may want to consider losing weight to reduce your risk of developing diabetes."
Lifestyle changes
Dr Patel also shared two other 'key lifestyle improvements' that can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes which are 'quitting smoking' and 'cutting back on alcohol'.
"If you think you may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes or you’ve experienced diabetes symptoms, you should contact your GP and ask for a test," the doctor advised.
"Diabetes can be tested for by blood testing which is available on the NHS. LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor has also launched a home blood testing service that can test your risk of developing diabetes as well as a number of other health-related issues."
You can find out more about diabetes on the official NHS website here.
Rhiannon Ingle