Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be hard to detect because they are do not always show and can develop gradually. But if the condition is ignored, complications such as heart disease and stroke can occur.
The type of diabetes is usually picked up during a routine medical examination or screening test for non-related health problems.
But if signs do show, one to note is urinating more often than normal, particularly needing to do so during the night.
Frequent urination is known as polyuria, which is there the body urinates more than usual and passes excessive or abnormally large amounts of urine each time you urinate.
The condition is defined as the frequent passage of large volumes of urine, explains Diabetes.co.uk.
An adults normal daily urine output is about one to two litres, but someone with polyuria might produce more than three litres a day.
The diabetes expert further explains: “It is one of the main symptoms of diabetes (both type 1 and type 2 diabetes) and can lead to severe dehydration, which if left untreated can affect kidney function.
“In diabetes, the level of sugar in the blood is abnormally high. Not all of the sugar can be reabsorbed and some of this excess glucose form the blood ends up in the urine where it draws more water.”
Put polyuria isn’t always a sign of diabetes. It can also indicate kidney disease, liver failure, chronic diarrhoea, and pregnancy.
It can also be the result if driving excessive amounts of fluids, particularly water and fluids that contain caffeine or alcohol.
Other symptoms of diabetes may include:
- Feeling tired during the day, particularly after meals (fatigue)
- Often feeling hungry, particularly if you feel hungry shortly after eating
- Feeling abnormally thirsty
- Blurred vision
- Itching of the skin, particularly itchiness around the genitals
- Slow healing of cuts or wounds
- Having regular yeast infections
- Having a skin disorder such as psoriasis or acanthuses nigricans
- Sudden weight loss or loss of muscle mass
Type 2 diabetes is where the body can’t control the amount of glucose in the blood and a person’s blood glucose levels become too high.
Among causes such as having a close family member with the condition, being overweight or obese can put you at risk of type 2 diabetes.
Those with the condition are recommended to make changes to their diet, such as counting the amount of carbohydrates you eat and keeping an eye on portion sizes
While it’s recommended you add oily fish to your diet, diabetes experts say ‘diabetic’ food should be given a miss.
It says: “They are expensive and contain as much fat and calories as ordinary versions, and they can also have a laxative effect.”
The research charity adds that eating regular meals can help. It advises: “Space your meals evenly throughout the day, and make sure everyone has breakfast.”
It’s also a good idea to cut down on fat and salt. It says: “Everyone needs some fat as part of a healthy diet. But, cut back on saturated fats, which are found in foods that are made of animal products like butter and cheese, red and processed meats, palm oil, coconut oil, ghee, and cakes and pastries.
“Too much salt is associated with high blood pressure, which increases the risk of diabetes complications. Adults should have no more than one teaspoon (6g) of salt per day, while children have even lower targets.
“Most of the salt we eat comes from processed foods so cut back on these and try to cook from scratch, flavouring your food with herbs and spices instead.
“It is always a good idea to red labels and choose lower salt options whenever possible.”