A: Certainly, feeling thirsty is one of the symptoms of diabetes. The other two are urinating more frequently and feeling tired- more than usual! I’m assuming you are middle aged or over and therefore asking about type 2 diabetes. That’s the type that can develop when you are older. Normally, the body deals with sugar in the blood by secreting insulin from the pancreas. If there is too much sugar for the body to cope with then it gets rid of the excess sugar through the urine. The main reason for developing diabetes is lifestyle. Being overweight, lack of exercise and not having a healthy balanced diet can all lead to diabetes. If the condition is undiagnosed then it can progress with serious complications such as vision loss and kidney failure. There is a test which measures the history of blood sugar levels. It’s called HbA1c and shows what your average blood sugar level has been over a period of weeks. See the offer below. However, with the recent hot weather, if you are just thirsty and have no other risk factors, then I suspect it might be a case of making sure you are well hydrated. This is Diabetes Awareness Week and the local MSP Kirsten Oswald has asked New Life Pharmacy to take part by offering FREE DIABETES CHECKS this week. Give the pharmacy a phone 0141 637 6000 or call in and make a booking. Collection and delivery prescription service Call 0141 637 6000, Use our NewLife App or visit our website www.newlifepharmacy.co.uk