World Diabetes Day - 14 November 2018

Did you know that an estimated 630,000 people are living with diabetes and do not know it?  Essentially, diabetes is about the body’s ability (or lack of it) to produce the required amount of a hormone called insulin to control glucose levels in the blood. There are broadly two types of diabetes: Type 1 requires daily administration of artificial insulin by means of injection or insulin pump. Type 2 is more generally managed by a combination of dietary control and medication in the form of tablets.

Are you at risk of diabetes?  

It’s not always easy to tell if you have diabetes as the symptoms can vary for each person and you could have type 2 diabetes if you are:

• Often very thirsty
• Urinating more than usual
• Often very tired
• Losing weight unexpectedly
• Have blurred vision
• Have genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
• Noticing that your cuts or wounds heal slowly  

You can find out your risk to Type 2 Diabetes by clicking here

To find out if you have type 2 diabetes, you may have to go through the following steps:

• See your GP about your symptoms.
• Your GP will check your urine and arrange a blood test to check your blood sugar levels. It usually takes about 1 to 2 days for the results to come back.
• If you have diabetes, your GP will ask you to come in again so they can explain the test results and what will happen next.