31 August 2023 , 11:41
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An estimated 5million people in the UK are living with diabetes - and it's estimated that 850,000 people are living with type 2 diabetes that hasn't been diagnosed yet. With the condition, which is caused by increased blood sugar levels, at an all time high, it's important to be aware of the biggest symptoms.
Diabetes occurs when your body doesn't produce enough insulin, which can cause your blood glucose level to be too high. If left untreated, diabetes can cause long-term health problems, so it's important to pick up on signs as early as possible. Although the most common symptoms are feeling very thirsty and peeing more frequently than usual - there are other lesser-known, more silent signs that you should look out for.
According to Wayne UNCH Health Care, one of the most common so-called 'silent' symptoms that may go unnoticed is fatigue, or weakness. This is because "when sugar can't get into your cells to energise them, your kidneys have to work overtime to remove the extra sugar" and "this can leave you feeling weak and fatigued".
According to the on-profit hospital affiliate, one of the red flags is finding yourself "too weak to do everyday activities you were able to do before" or "you feel exhausted after eating a meal". Feeling tired at any time of the day, not just after eating, is a common issue for people living with diabetes, and it usually has something to do with the blood sugar responses to what you eat.
"Regular tiredness, particularly tiredness following meals, is a common symptom of diabetes," explains diabetes.co.uk. The website explains that this can be down to an "imbalance between one's level of blood glucose and the amount or effectiveness of circulating insulin". It adds: "It is best to test your blood glucose levels to see whether the tiredness is indeed a result of having high or low sugar levels."
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Although this symptom can have other causes than diabetes, it's important to speak to a GP if you're worried. According to the NHS, many people with type 2 diabetes go for years without being diagnosed because the early symptoms tend to be "general" - or they might not have any at all.
Other symptoms of diabetes includes weight loss and loss of muscle, feeling very tired, itching around the penis or vagina or blurred vision. If you have these symptoms, you should speak to a GP.