This week (14 – 20 June) we’re recognising Diabetes Week and helping to raise awareness of diabetes, its causes and its symptoms.
Diabetes is a lifelong condition and one that often we go through life knowing little about until it affects us, or those close to us. It occurs when the body doesn’t have the insulin it needs and there are two types:
Type 1 is when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes requires daily injections of insulin to keep blood glucose levels under control and is not associated with lifestyle choices such as being overweight or inactive.
Type 2 is when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight, inactive or having a hereditary history of the condition. It’s also the most common type.
Each year more and more of us are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, a condition which can lead to stroke, blindness, heart disease, kidney failure and early death.
The risk of these serious conditions makes it important for diabetes to be detected as early as possible.
Symptoms of diabetes include:
- Feeling thirsty all of the time
- Needing to pee more than usual
- Feeling very tired
- Weight loss and/or loss of muscle bulk
- Blurred vision
- Cuts or wounds that heal slowly
- Itching around the penis/vagina
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it’s important that you go and see your Doctor or speak to your medical team on board. Shoreside colleagues can also make use of our Digital GP service.
Throughout the week we’ll also be joining in with Diabetes UK #DiabetesStories campaign and sharing real stories from colleagues living with the condition.