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Diabetes type 2 - Making a diagnosis
Presentation
Type 2 diabetes may present with characteristic symptoms of hyperglycaemia, such as thirst, polyuria, blurred vision, weight loss, recurrent infections, or tiredness. However, these symptoms are not usually severe and may even be absent:
- Ketoacidosis is a rare presentation of Type 2 diabetes. When seen, it usually arises in association with the stress of another illness, such as severe infection.
- Type 2 diabetes frequently remains undiagnosed for many years, because the degree of hyperglycaemia is often not severe enough to induce noticeable symptoms:
- It may be diagnosed during investigation of a secondary complication in a person with previously undiagnosed disease.
- It may be an incidental finding during a health check or routine screening procedure.
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