Understanding your health is an important step towards living healthier. At Broadway Pharmacy with Cure Clinics we are here to ensure you have the help, medicines and clinics to help you do just that.
Here is some key information for people living with Diabetes and some links to further reading. Prevention is an important part of looking after yourself so we’ve provided a link to some information about preventing this condition towards the end.
If you have any queries or would like to arrange to speak with one of our pharmacist clinicians get in touch.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
There are 2 main types of diabetes. They’re different conditions, but they’re both serious:
- Type 1 diabetes – where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin
- Type 2 diabetes – where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells do not react to insulin
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1. In the UK, around 90% of all adults with diabetes have type 2.
During pregnancy, some women have such high levels of blood glucose that their body is unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as gestational diabetes.
Causes of diabetes
The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach).
When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it’s broken down to produce energy.
However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there’s either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced does not work properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
You can help manage type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, regular exercise and achieving a healthy body weight.
Symptoms of diabetes
The common symptoms of diabetes include:
- Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night
- Being really thirsty
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Losing weight without trying to
- Genital itching or thrush
- Cuts and wounds take longer to heal
- Blurred vision
Further reading
For more reliable information you can take a look at the following sources:
NHS
Diabetes – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetes/
Type 1 Diabetes – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-1-diabetes/about-insulin/
Type 2 Diabetes – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/understanding-medication/
Diabetes UK
General information – https://www.diabetes.org.uk
Prevention – https://www.diabetes.org.uk/preventing-type-2-diabetes/can-diabetes-be-prevented
Coronavirus and diabetes – https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/coronavirus
