In Type 1 diabetes the signs and symptoms will usually be very obvious, developing quickly, usually over a few weeks.
In people with Type 2 diabetes the signs and symptoms will not be so obvious or even non-existent in people with Type 2 diabetes. If you’re older you may put the symptoms down to ‘getting on a bit’. Taking early action is key so if any of the symptoms apply to you, ask your GP for a diabetes test.
In both types of diabetes, the symptoms are quickly relieved once the diabetes is treated. Early treatment will also reduce the chances of developing serious health problems.
Diabetes is a common life-long condition where the amount of glucose in the blood is too high as the body cannot use it properly. This is because the pancreas does not produce any or not enough insulin or the insulin that is produced doesn’t work properly (known as insulin resistance).
Insulin helps glucose enter the body’s cells, where it is used for energy. Glucose comes from digesting carbohydrate from various kinds of food and drink, including starchy foods such as breads, rice and potatoes, fruit, some dairy products, sugar and other sweet foods. Glucose is also produced by the liver.
Symptoms of Diabetes:
- Increased thirst
- Constant need to urinate (particularly at night)
- Extreme tiredness
- Weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Genetial itching
- Slow healing wounds
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells have been destroyed and the body is unable to produce any insulin. Usually it appears before the age of 40, and especially in childhood. It is treated with insulin either by injection or pump, a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin that is produced doesn’t work properly. Usually it appears in people aged over 40, though in South Asian and Black people it can appear from the age of 25. It is becoming more common in children and young people of all ethnicities.
Type 2 diabetes is treated with a healthy diet and regular physical activity, but medication and/or insulin is often required.
Treating Diabetes
The main aim of diabetes treatment is to achieve blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat levels (including cholesterol) within the target ranges agreed by you and your healthcare team.
This, together with a healthy lifestyle, will reduce the risk of developing the long-term complications of diabetes such as heart attack, stroke, amputation, blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage.
How many people in the UK have diabetes?
There are currently over 2.6 million people with diabetes in the UK and there are up to half a million people with diabetes who have the condition and don't know it.
Including both adults and children, we estimate that:
15 % of people with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes.
85 % of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes.
Not including children, for adults in the UK, we estimate that:
10 % of people with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes.
90 % of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes
Causes and Risks of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have been destroyed. Nobody knows for sure why these cells have been damaged but the most likely cause is an abnormal reaction of the body to the cells. This may be triggered by a viral or other infection.
Type 2 diabetes
If you are white and over 40 years old, or if you’re black, Asian or from a minority ethnic group and over 25 years old and have one or more of the following risk factors, you should ask your GP for a test for diabetes.
The risk factors
- A close member of your family has Type 2 diabetes (parent or brother or sister).
- You’re overweight or if your waist is 31.5 inches or over for women; 35 inches or over for Asian men and 37 inches or over for white and black men.
- You have high blood pressure or you’ve had a heart attack or a stroke.
- You’re a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome and you are overweight.
- You’ve been told you have impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fastingglycaemia.
- If you’re a woman and you’ve had gestational diabetes.
- You have severe mental health problems.
The more risk factors that apply to you, the greater your risk of having diabetes.
Your age
You’re at risk of diabetes if you’re over 40 or you’re over 25 and black, Asian or from a minority ethnic group. The risk also rises with age so the older you get the more at risk you are.
The family
Having diabetes in the family puts you at risk. The closer the relative is, the greater the risk. So if your mum or dad has diabetes, rather than your aunt or uncle, it’s more likely you will develop the condition too.
Ethnicity
African-Caribbean or South Asian people who live in the UK are at least five times more likely to have diabetes than the white population.
Your weight
Not all people with diabetes are over weight but the stats show that over 80 per cent of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. The more overweight and the more inactive you are the greater your risk. If you don’t know whether you’re overweight, ask your GP to measure your BMI.
Your waist
Women – if your waist measures 31.5in (80cm) or more you’ve got an increased risk.Men – if you’re white or black and your waist is 37in (94cm) or more you have an increased risk of developing diabetes; if you’re an Asian man the figure is 35in (90cm) or more.
The other risk factors
If you’ve been diagnosed with any problems with your circulation, had a heart attack or stroke, or if you’ve got high blood pressure you may be at an increased risk of diabetes.
Pregnant women can develop a temporary type of diabetes – gestational diabetes. Having this – or giving birth to a large baby – can increase the risk of a woman going on to develop diabetes in the future.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who are overweight are at an increased risk of developing diabetes.
If you’ve been told you have either impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) it means the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood is higher than normal but you don’t have diabetes and you should follow a healthy diet, lose weight if you need to and keep active, to help yourself prevent diabetes. But make sure you’re regularly tested for diabetes.
Other conditions such as raised triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and severe mental health problems can also increase your risk.
Treating Diabetes
Although diabetes cannot be cured, it can be treated very successfully.
Type 1 diabetes is treated by insulin injections and a healthy diet, and regular exercise is recommended. Insulin cannot be taken by mouth because it is destroyed by the digestive juices in the stomach. People with this type of diabetes commonly take either two or four injections of insulin each day. If you have Type 1 diabetes, your insulin injections are vital to keep you alive and you must have them every day.
Type 2 diabetes is treated with lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet, weight loss and increased physical activity. Tablets and/or insulin may also be required to achieve normal blood glucose levels. There are several kinds of tablets for people with Type 2 diabetes. Some kinds help your pancreas to produce more insulin. Other kinds help your body to make better use of the insulin that your pancreas does produce. Another type of tablet slows down the speed at which the body absorbs glucose from the intestine. Your doctor will decide with you which kinds of tablet are going to work best for you and may prescribe more than one kind. Type 2 diabetes is progressive. If your diabetes cannot be controlled through lifestyle changes and tablets your doctor may recommend that you take insulin injections.
The main aim of treatment of both types of diabetes is to achieve blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as near to normal as possible. This, together with a healthy lifestyle, will help to improve wellbeing and protect against long-term damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and major arteries.
A lengthy animation made by Diabetes UK informing of what diabetes is:
The American Diabetes Association
http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericanDiabetesAssn
The American Diabetes Association have a youtube web page. They have some useful (yet very cheesy) videos that outline the affects and symtoms of diabetes; giving basic knowledge and an outline of the condition. I've added a few for examples. WARNING VERY CHEESY AMERICAN VIDEOS....
Would this be an effective viral for the charity; striking enough???
Thats enough for 1 blog post; too much for my computer to handle. See you in the next one!
