Little-known diabetes sign found in your mouth as thousands of cases undiagnosed

19 November 2023 , 07:26

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Experts said nine in every 10 people with diabetes have type 2. File image (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Around four million people in the UK currently have a diabetes diagnosis but there are an estimated further 500,000 people with the disease who do not know they have it.

The figures have been issued by the Diabetes and Wellness Foundation, which also says that nine in every 10 people with diabetes have type 2, which in many cases is preventable. Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease or stroke.

On top of this high blood sugar, which can cause diabetes, can also result in permanent damage to parts of the body such as the eyes, nerves, kidneys and blood vessels, if you have it for a long time, reports Liverpool Echo.

Two common symptoms of high blood sugar, also known as hyperglycaemia, occur within the mouth. These are a dry mouth and a breath that smells "fruity". The NHS also lists tummy pain and recurrent infections such as thrush, bladder infections (cystitis) and skin infections, as symptoms.

Other warning signs include increased thirst, needing to urinate more frequently, and feeling or being sick, tiredness, blurred vision and unintentional weight loss. As symptoms of hyperglycaemia can also be caused by undiagnosed diabetes, the NHS advises you see a GP if this applies to you. Many people, it says, have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general.

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According to the NHS Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. There are 2 main types of diabetes:

• type 1 diabetes – a lifelong condition where the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin
• type 2 diabetes – where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body's cells do not react to insulin properly

Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1. In the UK, over 90% of all adults with diabetes have type 2. High blood sugar that develops during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes. It usually goes away after giving birth.

Kate Lally