Diabetes symptoms could be spotted in your eyes - warning as cases soar in UK
Diabetes is on the rise in the UK, with an alarming 4.3 million people living with the condition.
A new study revealed one in 16 Brits have been diagnosed, according to Diabetes UK.
Figures showed that cases last year rose by 148,951, with more than 2.4 million people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
About nine in 10 diagnoses are of type 2 diabetes, which is where the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin, or the body does not react to insulin.
It causes a person's blood sugar to become too high; essentially an inability of the body to break down glucose levels.
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Symptoms of diabetes type 2 include weight loss, feeling tired all the time, and passing more urine than normal.
But another way of detecting whether you have the condition surprisingly lies in your eyes.
Eye tests can help detect warning signs of diabetes of prediabetes (Getty Images)Those most at risk are people whose vision changes between normal and blurry, according to Specsavers' clinical spokesman Dr Nigel Best.
The eye expert said blurred vision is one of the earliest warning signs of the condition.
“Fluctuating blurred vision is the main symptom people with diabetes get in their eyes,” he said.
“People may find that one day they have blurred vision but another day they can see perfectly fine, this is down to their sugar levels not being stable.”
The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop a complication known as diabetic retinopathy.
Blurred vision can also point to this condition, which is caused by damaged blood vessels at the back of the eye.
These can completely close off, causing new abnormal ones to form with risk of scar tissue at the back of the eye.
In these cases, there is a risk of glaucoma or even blindness.
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"Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness among people of working age in the UK," Dr Best told the Express.
"So it’s hugely important that diabetes is detected early and monitored correctly to avoid furthering the risks.
“With diabetic retinopathy, there are no symptoms people experience, which is why it’s so important patients are screened.”
The main symptoms of diabetes include feeling more tired, losing weight without trying, genital itching or thrush, blurred vision, and cuts taking longer to heal.
Other key symptoms include feeling very thirsty and going to the toilet more often – particularly at night.
The NHS advised you to visit your GP if you experience any of these symptoms which could indicate diabetes or a condition known as prediabetes.
Despite its name, prediabetes is still a serious health condition where a person’s blood sugar levels are high, but not yet high enough to class the person as having diabetes.
It is a real warning sign that can be reversed.
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