Diabetes: ‘Common’ symptoms include polydipsia or increased thirst

When you have untreated diabetes, your kidneys are forced to work harder to filter and absorb the extra blood sugar.

When the little organs reach a point when they can’t keep up, the excess glucose is excreted into your urine, dragging along fluids from your tissues, which makes you dehydrated, the Mayo Clinic reports.

This is the very recipe for increased feelings of thirst. However, it’s important to note that other health problems, ranging from diarrhoea to sepsis, could also spur on this sign.

Fortunately, polydipsia is one of the most “common” symptoms of diabetes but it isn’t the only red flag.