DIABETES PORTAL

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious condition where your blood glucose level is too high. It can happen when your body doesn't produce enough insulin or the insulin it produces isn't effective. Or, when your body can't produce any insulin at all.

Type 1 Diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes, your blood sugar is too high because your body can’t make a hormone called insulin. 

Fewer than one in 10 people in the UK who have diabetes have type 1 diabetes. There is nothing you can do to prevent yourself or others developing type 1 diabetes. The exact causes are not known.

Although it’s often diagnosed in childhood, people can develop type 1 diabetes at any age. You are at a slightly higher risk of type 1 diabetes if your mother, father, brother or sister has it. 

Insulin is the main treatment for type 1 diabetes. You can’t live without insulin injections or using an insulin pump. Checking and managing your blood sugar levels is important to help you reduce your risk of serious short or long-term health problems. These are called diabetes complications.  There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is high blood sugar levels due to your body not making enough of a hormone called insulin, or the insulin it makes not working properly — known as insulin resistance.

High blood sugar levels over time can cause other health problems like heart attacks and strokes, as well as problems with your eyes, kidneys, and feet. These are called diabetes complications. 
So treatment includes regular health checks and getting support to be active, eat healthily, and maintain a healthy weight. You may need to take medication including insulin and check your blood sugars regularly too. 

Type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed for years if you don’t have symptoms or your symptoms are missed. 
It doesn't just affect people living with overweight or obesity, although this is one of the risk factors, along with ethnicity. 

There are many reasons type 2 diabetes develops but it mostly affects people over 25 often with a family history. 
Many people can do things to try and prevent type 2 diabetes. 
There’s no cure but some people with type 2 diabetes can put their diabetes into remission.

Non-Diabetic Hyperglycaemia (Pre-Diabetes)

Many people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, or pre-diabetes.

People with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but the risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes. People with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia are also recommended to have a blood test every year to monitor their blood sugar levels.

It's very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it's likely to get worse if left untreated and can cause long-term health problems.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (glucose) that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth.

It can happen at any stage of pregnancy but is more common in the second or third trimester.

It happens when your body cannot produce enough insulin – a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels – to meet your extra needs in pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy and after birth. But the risks can be reduced if the condition is detected early and well managed.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Visit your GP as soon as possible if you experience the main symptoms of diabetes, which include:

• feeling very thirsty
• peeing more frequently than usual, particularly at night
• feeling very tired
• weight loss and loss of muscle bulk.
• itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
• weight loss and loss of muscle bulk.
• blurred vision

Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days.  Weight loss is common in people with type 1 diabetes when it first develops and before it's treated, but it's less common in people with type 2 diabetes.

Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general, or there are no symptoms at all.

Diabetic Eye Screening

Everyone with diabetes aged 12 years old or over should be invited to have their eyes screened regularly.

If you have diabetes, your eyes are at risk from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to sight loss if it's not treated.

Screening, which includes a 30-minute check to examine the back of the eyes, is a way of diagnosing diabetic retinopathy and detecting the condition early where possible so it can be treated more effectively. In many people, this can stop it affecting their vision or reduce the chance of it getting worse.

It's important to see a doctor if you notice any problems with your eyesight. Do not wait for your next screening appointment.

Foot Problems

Diabetes can damage the nerves in your feet and cause a loss of feeling. It can also reduce the blood supply
to your feet. This means you may not notice if your foot is sore or injured, and foot injuries do not heal as well. This can lead to ulcers and infections, and sometimes amputations can be needed in serious cases.

Adults with diabetes should have their feet checked every year by a healthcare professional. It's important to see a
healthcare professional as soon as possible if you notice any problems with your feet.