There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

There are also some rarer types, but they're all serious and can be diagnosed by your GP. 

The signs and symptoms you need to look out for are:

Weeing often, because your body will be trying to lower your blood sugar levels by flushing out the extra sugar in your blood. 

This can lead to other symptoms, including feeling really thirsty or genital itching and thrush.

This can happen if your wee contains a lot of sugar from your blood because it can create an environment for fungal infections. 

You may also feel tired because the sugar in your blood can't get into your cells to turn into energy.

This could lead to your body trying to break down its fat stores instead. 

So, you might find that you are losing weight without really trying to.

Wounds might also take longer to heal because high blood sugar levels can limit nutrients and oxygen from getting to your wound.

And your eyesight might be blurry as blood sugar can build up, making it harder to see.

With Type 1 diabetes, the symptoms can be more obvious and develop much quicker, over a few days or weeks.

With Type 2 diabetes, the symptoms can develop much slower, and some people may not have any symptoms.

This is why some people can live with Type 2 for years without realizing they have it.

If you do notice any of the symptoms, contact your GP straight away. 

Getting diagnosed can be the first step to getting treatment and support so that you can find ways to live well with diabetes as soon as possible.