When diabetes symptoms do develop, they often vary. Two symptoms that occur in many people with the disease are increased thirst and frequent urination. That is because excess glucose circulating in your body draws water from your tissues, making you feel dehydrated. To quench your thirst, you drink a lot of water and other beverages, and that leads to urination that is more frequent.

Other warning signs of diabetes include:

Flu-like symptoms. Diabetes can sometimes feel like a viral illness, with fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite.

Weight gain or loss. Because your body is trying to compensate for lost fluids and sugar, you may eat more than usual and gain weight.

Blurred vision. High levels of blood sugar pull fluid out of the tissues in your body - including the lenses of your eyes. Once your diabetes is treated and your blood sugar levels drop, your vision should improve. Over a period of years, however, diabetes can also cause new blood vessels to form in your retina - the back part of your eye - as well as damage old vessels.

Slow-healing sores or frequent infections. Diabetes affects your body's ability to heal and fight infection. Bladder and vaginal infections can be a particular problem for women.

Nerve damage (neuropathy). Excess sugar in your blood can damage the small blood vessels to your nerves, leading to a number of symptoms. The most common are tingling and loss of sensation in your hands and especially your feet.

Red, swollen, tender gums. Diabetes increases the risk of infection in your gums and in the bones that hold your teeth in place.

Although researchers do not fully understand why some people get diabetes and others do not, it is clear that certain factors increase your risk.

Diabetes risk factors include:

Family history. Your chance of developing type 1 or type 2 diabetes increases if you have a parent or sibling with the disease.

Weight. Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for diabetes - eight out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. That's because the more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to your own insulin. If you have extra weight in the upper part of your body - particularly around your abdomen - you're especially at risk. In addition, women who gain even moderate amounts of weight - 10 to 20 pounds - as young adults are at higher risk of diabetes.

Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk of diabetes. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose, makes your cells more sensitive to insulin, increases blood flow and improves circulation in even the smallest blood vessels.

Age. Your risk of type 2 diabetes increases, as you get older- especially past the age of 45. Often, that is because people tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age, and because more often than not, weight gain involves a diet high in carbohydrates and fat.

Race. For reasons that are not entirely clear, people of some races are more likely to develop diabetes. Approximately 6 percent of the general population has diagnosed diabetes. However, that rate doubles for blacks, Hispanics, and more than doubles for American Indians. Among the Pima Indians of Arizona, half of all adults have type 2 diabetes - one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, is more common in white Americans and in European countries such as Finland and Sweden.