How can I recognise diabetes?

How can I recognise diabetes? The symptoms of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are different.

Type 1 diabetes:

Initial symptoms become visible relatively quickly:

• Significant and sudden thirst
• Increased urge to urinate
• Vomiting and muscle cramps

Reduced energy and significant weight loss also often occur. There are also symptoms such as tiredness, and disorders of vision and concentration.

Type 2 diabetes:

In the early stage of type 2 diabetes, most patients do not have any symptoms, or those that they do have are non-specific. The diagnosis is often found 'by accident' during a routine examination.

The symptoms include:

• Frequent tiredness
• Feeling unwell
• Increased susceptibility to infections

Increased thirst and increased urge to urinate occur very rarely. There is no rapid weight increase; instead, there tends to be hunger and the associated weight gain. As environmental and behavioural factors also play an important role in developing 2 diabetes, the treatment of type 2 diabetes can be usefully supported by means of targeted measures in the patient's daily life.