The early signs of diabetes often include feeling unusually tired, and waking up in the night needing to pass water, even if you haven't drunk an unusual amount of fluid before bed. At the same time you may feel very thirsty and have other symptoms such as itchiness, unexplained weight loss and even problems with your eyesight. You can find a full list of symptoms here.

You need to see a doctor quickly if you have any of these symptoms. There are two main types of diabites, which have similar symptoms, but Type 1 can develop very suddenly and needs to be treated quickly with insulin.

Type 2 may take years to appear, and some people get tested for this form of diabetes even if they don't have any symptoms yet. if other people in your family have diabetes, or if you are very overweight or have problems such as high blood pressure, you may be advised to take a test.