AS CHRISTMAS gives us licence to indulge in an abundant of food and drink, it’s not unusual to pass out on the sofa after a large meal or wake up from a boozy night feeling dizzy.
It’s likely your symptoms are caused by scoffing mince pies or guzzling mulled wine – but they might also be early warning signs of type 2 diabetes.
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Millions of people in the UK are currently living with the condition, but many have no idea they have it.
In fact, charities have estimated that 1.2 million Brits may have type 2 diabetes without knowing.
“Diabetes sometimes goes undetected as some of the symptoms go unnoticed,” Dr Neel Patel, a GP at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, explained.
Type 2 diabetes causes high blood sugar levels that can lead to serious complications if left untreated.
Symptoms can be subtle, but some of them may become more obvious over the festive period.
Here, we look at nine early indicators you may want to get checked by a GP in the New Year.
1. Peeing more often than normal
Frequent urination is one of the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
This is because it helps the body remove excess glucose.
At Christmas, you might find yourself peeing more often than normal and blame it on alcohol or the cold weather.
But if you notice it happens regularly, particularly at night, it might be wise to see a doctor.
2. Smelly breath
Plenty of festive foods can give you bad breath.
But a strange oral smell is also common in diabetes sufferers.
Depending on its exact cause, it can smell like anything from rotten eggs or apples to sweet pear drops.
Others compare the odour to acetone or nail varnish remover.
3. Being unusually thirsty
Feeling excessively thirsty is common after a heavy Christmas night out, but it is also a key indicator of diabetes.
It’s a result of the blood sugar imbalance caused by the condition.
4. Tiredness
With all the parties and family gatherings, it’s easy to feel exhausted around Christmas.
But extreme fatigue could suggest something more serious is going on.
While your tiredness could have many causes, it might be worth speaking to your GP about whether diabetes could be behind it.
5. Cuts taking longer to heal
If cut yourself while chopping vegetables or wrapping presents and the wound takes longer than normal to heal, that could be another sign you may have diabetes.
When the condition is uncontrolled, it can cause blood to move more slowly, making it tricky for the body to deliver nutrients to wounds.
As a result, injuries can heal more slowly than usual, or not at all.
6. Dizziness
Dizziness is a classic Christmas hangover symptom.
But it is also reported by many people with diabetes because of low or high blood sugar and dehydration.
7. Aggression, irritability and impatience
Research suggests blood sugar changes can significantly impact your mood.
Therefore, some people with diabetes, whether diagnosed or not, experience irritability, aggression or impatience.
Spending time with your in-laws can definitely bring this on over the dinner table, but if it is particularly out of character for you or happens regularly, consider speaking to a healthcare professional.
Whether diabetes or not, there could be a simple explanation – and solution.
8. Nervousness or anxiety
Anxiety symptoms may be mistaken for symptoms of low blood sugar, and vice versa.
For example, a pounding heart, confusion, shaking, sweating, dizziness, headache, and nausea are symptoms of both hypoglycaemia and panic attacks.
Research suggests that anxiety affects about 40 per cent of people with diabetes.
9. Weight loss without trying
Most people stuff their faces over Christmas, and their clothes feel a little tighter come January.
So if you find your jeans actually seem looser in the New Year, it could be worth getting checked out.
Diabetes can cause rapid weight loss because when you lose sugar through frequent urination, you also lose calories.
This, along with dehydration, can trigger weight loss.
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Other common diabetes symptoms, less specific to the festive period, are:
- Thrush or itchy genitals
- Confusion
- Hunger
- Difficulties with coordination, concentration and decision making
- Personality and behavioural changes
- Blurry vision
- Dark spots on your skin
Some people are more at risk than others.
Dr Patel said: “Generally, people who are overweight or obese are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“Specifically, people with an unhealthy waistline measurement and those who store too much fat around their pancreas and liver can be at high risk.
“Certain ethnicities also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“People from Black African, African Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds are generally at a higher risk.”
How to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes
According to Diabetes UK, there are a few diet tweaks you can make to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes:
- Choose drinks without added sugar – skip out the sugar in your tea and coffee and stay away from fizzy and energy drinks
- Eat whole grains such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal flour, wholegrain bread and oats instead of refined carbs
- Cut down on red and processed meat like bacon, ham, sausages, pork, beef and lamb
- Eat plenty of fruit and veg – apples, grapes, berries, and green leafy veg such as spinach, kale, watercress, and rocket have been associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- Have unsweetened yoghurt and cheese
- Cut down on booze – and have a few days a week with none at all
- Have healthy snacks like unsweetened yoghurt, unsalted nuts, seeds and fruit and veg
- Eat healthy fats included in nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil
- Cut down on salt
- Get your vitamins and minerals from food instead of tablets
If you notice any of these symptoms, it is important to get them checked by a doctor.
“Diabetes can be very dangerous if it goes untreated,” Dr Patel said.
“Most complications build up over time but others can present at any point.”
Diabetes complications include:
- Sight loss
- Foot problems, like chronic ulcers
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Kidney problems
- Nerve damage
- Gum disease
- Sexual difficulties
But if your diabetes is properly managed, you should be able to live a healthy and normal life, Dr Patel added.
You can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by choosing a healthy lifestyle.
“One of the biggest factors that can help is losing weight,” Dr Patel said.
“This can be done through increasing your physical activity and eating healthier balanced meals.
“If your waist size is over 31.5in for a woman or 37in for a man, you may want to consider losing weight to reduce your risk of developing diabetes.
“Two other key lifestyle improvements that can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes are quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol.
“Both smoking and excessive drinking have been linked to increased risk of developing the disease and smoking has been shown to increase the risk of complications if you do develop type 2 diabetes.”
Type 1 vs type 2 diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes, which causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce the hormone insulin.
It affects around 344,000 people in the UK.
Type 2 diabetes on the other hand is far more common, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the 4.4million adults with diabetes.
It occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells don’t react to it properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
But you may be at higher risk of type 2 diabetes if you are overweight or obese, eat unhealthily, have a family history of the condition, take certain medications for a long time, have high blood pressure, and have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
People of Asian, Black African or African Caribbean origin are also at increased risk.
Source: NHS and Diabetes UK
