Diabetes
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Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to use glucose (sugar) properly, resulting in abnormally high or low levels of glucose in the blood. There are two main types-Type 1 which usually affects people under 40 and is treated with insulin injections, diet and regular activity. Type 2 is usually found in people aged 40 or more and can be treated with diet and physical activity alone, although it can often require tablets and sometimes, insulin injections.
The Risk Factors Most people with the condition have Type 2. The older you are, the greater your risk. If you come from a black or minority ethnic group, you are at increased risk over the age of 25. The closer your relative with the condition, then the greater your risk. Over 80% of people with Type 2 are overweight at diagnosis. The more overweight and inactive you are, then the greater your risk of developing Type 2.
If you have been diagnosed with any problems with your circulation, have had a heart attack or stroke, or if you have high blood pressure you may be at increased risk of Type 2. Pregnant women can develop a temporary type of the condition called “gestational diabetes”. Having this, or giving birth to a large baby, can increase a women’s risk of going on to develop Type 2 in the future.
The symptoms of Type 1 and 2 are the same, but Type 1 symptoms develop much more quickly, usually over a few weeks and the symptoms are quite severe. In type 2 the symptoms may not always be easily recognised.
The symptoms are: • Increased thirst • Wanting to pass urine all the time • Extreme tiredness • Weight loss • Blurred vision • Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush • Slow healing wounds Spotting diabetes early means that it can be treated and the risk of developing the serious complications can be greatly reduced. If you think that you may have diabetes – because you have a risk factor or the symptoms – it is important that you take steps NOW and ask your doctor for a simple blood test. There are many misconceptions about the condition being “mild”. These misconceptions are potentially dangerous. It is a serious medical condition.
Complications What makes this condition so serious is that it can affect other parts of the body and lead to: • Impaired vision • Kidney failure • Heart disease • Stroke • Nerve damage that may require amputations Most people with Type 2 wouldn’t have developed or recognised their symptoms, so when eventually diagnosed, they will have had the condition for an average of nine years and already started to develop the complications.
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