The sleep symptom which could be sign of life-changing condition

Getting up in the night to go to the toilet is a common occurrence for many Brits. But a sudden intensity to this habit could be a sign of a medical condition, a doctor has warned.

Needing to urinate more frequently throughout the night can be a symptom of diabetes. Dr Patel added that people from different ethnic groups may be more at risk of developing the illness than others, including people of Black African, African Caribbean, or South Asian descent.

"There are two main types of diabetes," they said. "Type 1 diabetes is where your body does not produce insulin. There is no way to prevent this type of diabetes and its exact cause is currently unknown.

POLL: Do you agree with the DWP taking money from bank accounts or wages?

“Type 2 diabetes is where your body does not make enough insulin, or the insulin you do produce does not function properly. This type of diabetes usually comes on in adulthood and can be affected by lifestyle choices as well as other factors.

“Diabetes sometimes goes undetected as some of the symptoms go unnoticed. However, it’s best to identify diabetes earlier so that you can avoid later complications or potentially avoid developing diabetes altogether.”

Diabetes symptoms can include:

• Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night
• Being unusually thirsty
• Feeling fatigued
• Losing weight without trying to
• Thrush or itchy genitals
• Cuts taking longer to heal

Diabetes complications can include:

• Sight loss
• Foot problems like chronic ulcers
• Heart attack or stroke
• Kidney problems
• Nerve damage
• Gum disease

Dr Patel said: "Generally, people who are overweight or obese are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Specifically, people with an unhealthy waistline measurement and those who store too much fat around their pancreas and liver can be at high risk. Certain ethnicities also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People from Black African, African Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds are generally at a higher risk.

“Diabetes can be very dangerous if it goes untreated. Most complications build up over time but others can present at any point." They added: "If proper treatment is provided and the diabetes is managed, you should be able to live a healthy and normal life.

"The best way to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is to improve your overall health by choosing a healthy lifestyle . One of the biggest factors that can help is losing weight. This can be done through increasing your physical activity and eating healthier balanced meals.

"If your waist size is over 31.5 inches for a woman, or 37 inches for a man, you may want to consider losing weight to reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Two other key lifestyle improvements that can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes are quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol.

Brumwish 2024 - buy a gift for a child in need

BrumWish 2024 is Birmingham Live's festive drive to get thousands of gifts to children and young people across our city - among them the homeless, the vulnerable, kids in care, kids who are poorly or struggling, and kids who have little.

There are THREE simple ways to help.

1. Buy a new gift from the Brumwish 2024 Amazon giftlist. In just a click your donation will be whizzing its way to our volunteers at Edgbaston Stadium.
2. Donate money to the appeal fund hosted by Thrive Together Birmingham - this will help pay for gifts for kids with specialist needs or specific wishes.
3. Buy a gift and, even better, rope in friends, neighbours and workmates to do the same, then drop off your pressies at Edgbaston Stadium, Edgbaston Road, B5 7QU on Friday 6th December, 10am - 3pm; Saturday 7th December, 10am - 1pm; or Monday 9th December, 10am - 1pm. Volunteers will be there to help you. Please don't wrap your gifts. You can also drop off by arrangement until Monday 16th December - contact Louise on 07469 979286.

Thanks to our partnership with #Toys4Birmingham, every single gift will find a good home in the loving care of a child living in B&Bs or hotels, hostels or refuges, children receiving support from specialist organisations and charities, and families being supported by children's centres and charities around the city.

Making up the Brumwish and Toys4Birmingham gang are Thrive Together Birmingham, Birmingham Playcare Network, Warwickshire Cricket Foundation (the charitable arm of Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Birmingham Forward Steps and BirminghamLive/Birmingham Mail.

Thank you to Amazon UK and the amazing team at the Sutton Coldfield depot for their support.

"Both smoking and excessive drinking have been linked to increased risk of developing the disease and smoking has been shown to increase the risk of complications if you do develop type 2 diabetes.

“If you think you may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes or you’ve experienced diabetes symptoms, you should contact your GP and ask for a test.

“Diabetes can be tested for by blood testing which is available on the NHS. LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor has also launched a home blood testing service that can test your risk of developing diabetes as well as a number of other health-related issues.”

Always consult a medical professional if you are concerned about your health.