THERE’S nothing better than downing a glass of ice cold water when you’re feeling parched.
But craving water on a regular basis can be a sign of something very serious.
Craving water on a regular basis can be a sign of type 2 diabetesGetty – Contributor
Feeling thirsty all the time is common symptom of type 2 diabetes, according to the NHS.
There are almost five million people in the UK living with diabetes — and 90 per cent have type 2, which is linked to lifestyle factors.
Of the millions of Brits living with the condition, 850,000 may not even know they have it, predicts Diabetes UK.
The disease can go undetected because its symptoms are hard to spot, or often brushed off as something else.
The serious condition driven by soaring obesity levels, raises the odds of Covid death, heart attacks and strokes among other complications – which is why it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible if you suspect you might have it.
People can live for up to ten years with type 2 diabetes – the most common type – before being diagnosed, charities say.
Type 2 diabetes is when the insulin the pancreas makes can’t work properly, or the pancreas can’t make enough insulin.
This means blood glucose (sugar) levels in the body become too high.
According to the NHS, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes to watch out for include:
Peeing more than usual, particularly at nightFeeling very tiredLosing weight without trying toItching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrushGetting cuts or wounds that take longer than normal to healHaving blurred vision
These are the most common signs typically reported by those suffering the condition.
But there are a number of other rarer symptoms that may alert you to this disease.
These include:
Dark skin patchesFrequent infectionsItchy skinDry mouthIrritability Sweet breathTingling or numbnessBad teeth
You can take the “Know Your Risk” for type 2 diabetes quiz here.
This rapid quiz asks about age, weight, if someone in the family has diabetes and if you have been told you have high blood pressure, for example.
A new study revealed that rates of type 2 diabetes in young adults have risen from 1990 to 2019.
Writing in the BMJ, the experts said in 1990, the rate of young adults (those under 30) being diagnosed was around 117 per 100,000 in the population
In 2019, this increase by 56.4 per cent to 183, the experts found.