Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) senior consultant and head of endocrinology and diabetes, Dr Mahmoud Zirie, has urged people to talk to their family about diabetes and specifically its symptoms and risk factors. 
Some studies suggest that Type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed for many years, with many diabetics not being diagnosed until they experience a serious complication such as stroke or heart attack. 
While there is no single cause of Type 2 diabetes, there are well-established risk factors, including obesity, an inactive lifestyle, increased age, a family history of diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes. 
Type 2 diabetes symptoms can vary from one person to another and can include excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, slow healing cuts and bruises, unexplained weight loss or gain and numbness in the hands and feet. 
“Being aware of diabetes symptoms is an important part for taking action. These symptoms are like an alarm clock for your health,” said Dr Zirie. 
“An increasing number of patients diagnosed with diabetes are asymptomatic. We see many patients at the National Diabetes Centres at Hamad General Hospital and Al Wakra Hospital who experienced no symptoms prior to their diagnosis. They only came to see our physicians for consultation because they developed one or more of the complications associated with diabetes,” Dr Zirie added.