DIABETES is a serious condition that affects millions of Brits.
But many people are living with the condition unknowingly, as symptoms can be subtle.
Getty – ContributorOne of the more unfamiliar signs of diabetes you can sometimes spot while having sex[/caption]
One lesser-known sign can often crop up between the sheets.
Diabetes is a disease which occurs when the level of sugar in your blood is too high.
There are two types, with the main difference being that type 1 diabetes is a genetic condition, with type 2 mainly being down to lifestyle choices.
But both are as serious as each other and can lead to serious health complications such as sight loss and the limb amputations.
Over 90 per cent of the five million people in the UK with diabetes have type 2 – with 850,000 of these undiagnosed.
Most people know some of the more common symptoms of diabetes, such as increased thirst, going to the toilet more and tiredness.
But one of the more unfamiliar signs you can sometimes spot while having sex.
Yeast infections – like thrush – are a particular problem for diabetics because sugar helps candida grow, the NHS says.
High levels of sugar in your blood also mean high sugar levels in your sweat, saliva, and urine.
This encourages yeast to grow in places on the body, like the genitals.
Having sex with thrush can be very painful, and at best, very uncomfortable.
The infection usually leaves the labia swollen and sensitive.
And friction from sex is likely to aggravate the inflamed tissue, as well as increase itching and irritation.
6 other red flags to know
According to the NHS, there are other signs to look out for.
These include:
feeling very thirstypeeing more frequently than usual, particularly at nightfeeling very tiredweight loss and loss of muscle bulkitching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrushblurred vision
Weight loss is common in people with type 1 diabetes when it first develops and before it’s treated, but it’s less common in people with type 2 diabetes.
What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
All types of diabetes cause blood glucose levels to be higher than normal, but the two different types do this in different ways.
The distinction lies in what is causing the lack of insulin.
Insulin is often described as the key that allows glucose to unlock the door to cells.
With type 1 diabetes, a person’s pancreas produces no insulin.
But in type 2, cells in the body become resistant to insulin, so a greater amount of insulin is needed to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range.
However, doctors now think diabetes could be as many as five different diseases – and say that treatment should be tailored for the different forms.