Diabetes is a common condition that affects almost four million people in the UK. Around 90 per cent of all cases are caused by type 2 diabetes.
The condition is caused by the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the body not reacting to insulin.
Without enough insulin, the body struggles to convert sugar in the blood into useable energy.
You could be at risk of diabetes if you have a tingling feeling in your feet, it’s been revealed.
A tingling, or numbness, in the feet or legs could be an early warning sign of diabetes, warned charity Diabetes UK.
The feeling may be caused by sensory neuropathy – a condition that affects the nerves that carry messages of touch and pain from the skin to the brain.
Left untreated, the feeling could lead to a loss of feeling in patients’ feet, it warned.
“Diabetes can cause neuropathy as a result of high blood glucose levels damaging the small blood vessels which supply the nerves,” said the charity.
“This prevents essential nutrients reaching the nerves. The nerve fibres are then damaged or disappear.
“Sensory neuropathy mainly affects the nerves in the feet and the legs, but people can also develop this type of neuropathy in their arms and hands.
“Symptoms can include tingling and numbness, loss of ability to feel pain, loss of ability to detect changes in temperature, loss of coordination – when you lose your joint position sense – and burning or shooting pains.
“The main danger of sensory neuropathy for someone with diabetes is loss of feeling in the feet, especially if you don’t realise that this has happened.”
If neuropathy is ignored, minor injuries could develop in to infections or ulcers.
It’s crucial that diabetes patients maintain normal blood sugar levels to avoid sensory neuropathy, added Diabetes UK.
Everyone that’s been diagnosed with diabetes should have their feet checked at least once a year.
Other diabetes warning signs include extreme tiredness, passing more urine than normal, and blurred vision.
Other diabetes symptoms include feeling thirsty all of the time, having cuts or wounds that take longer to heal than normal, and losing weight without trying to.
Diagnosing the condition early is very important, as patients are more at risk of some deadly complications, including heart disease and strokes.
The people most at risk of the condition include those that are overweight, are over 40 years old, or have a close relative with diabetes.
Speak to a doctor if you’re worried about the signs and symptoms of diabetes, said the NHS.