Type 2 diabetes develops when your body can’t produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced doesn’t work properly.
Insulin is like a key; it opens the door to the cells in your body and allows the glucose to enter. Insulin lowers the level of glucose in your bloodstream.
Symptoms occur because some or all of the glucose stays in the blood and it 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.
The main symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes include:
Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night
Increased thirst
Extreme tiredness
Unexplained weight loss
In addition to these symptoms you may experience the following:
Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
Slow healing of cuts and wounds
Blurred vision
If you have any of these symptoms, please see your GP as soon as possible.
The doctor may ask you to take some tablets to help your body use the insulin it is producing properly.