If there’s one piece of medical information everybody and their best friend is sure they’re an expert on, it’s what the symptoms of diabetes are. It’s well known that frequent urination and a constant thirst are common diabetes symptoms.

However, running to the bathroom six times a day doesn’t necessarily mean you’re diabetic. There are other causes for frequent urination, from drinking too much coffee to pregnancy and far beyond.

What you should look for, if you’re concerned about diabetes, is the following behaviors:

  • frequent urination
  • strong, constant thirst
  • being very hungry
  • a sense of tiredness or fatigue
  • a sense of being irritable or ‘cranky’
  • blurry vision
  • unusual weight loss — you haven’t been eating less or doing more, and still, the pounds come off!

The key here is that none of these items, one time or in isolation, is necessarily a symptom of diabetes. You could be very hungry because you didn’t eat the day before — but as soon as you have a sandwich, you’re fine. What we’re talking about is a prolonged, repeating pattern of these symptoms.

This is information you need to share with your doctor. They’ll do tests, including an analysis of your blood sugar levels, to see if what appears to be the symptoms of diabetes is in fact that — or if the symptoms are related to another, unrelated condition.