Diabetes Week 2019
Peter Nossiter
Diabetes Week 2019
Eight things about diabetes everyone should know………
1. One in 15 of us live with diabetes.
That’s 4.7 million people in the UK – more than cancer and dementia combined. That includes one million people who don’t even know they have diabetes. The chances are that many people you know are diabetic.
2. There are different types.
Type 1 and Type 2 are the two main types of diabetes. There are rarer types too. 90% of people with diabetes have Type 2. What they all have in common is the sugar level is raised in the blood, which can seriously damage the body. In particular, it is the small blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys and feet which are most vulnerable.
3. What are the symptoms?
-going to the toilet a lot, especially at night.
-feeling more tired that usual.
-feeling really thirsty
-blurred vision
-cuts and wounds take longer to heal
-genital itching.
4. Anyone can get it.
Why people get diabetes is complicated. Some things increase your risk of developing it, from genetics and ethnic background to gender, age and lifestyle factors, such as smoking or drinking too much alcohol, or having a sedentary lifestyle. But sometimes it isn’t clear why people get it.
5. Size Matters
It has been shown that the likelihood of developing diabetes is directly related to your waist size. The larger the waist size the more likely one is to be diabetic. Eating a healthy balanced diet is the best advice for diabetics.
Waist size is recommended to be kept below 31.5 in for women and 37 inch for most men.
6. It’s not just tablets or injections.
It’s so much more than that. Eat well, move more and lose weight ,if you have some excess, is the best advice for us all, and that includes diabetics. The advice is 30 minutes of moderate activity each day, which may be just a short walk down the road, or going up and downstairs a few times.
With the right treatment and care, the effects of diabetes Type 2 and high blood sugar levels can potentially be reversed and certainly managed well. It is even possible to achieve remission in which your blood sugar levels go back to normal and medication is no longer required.
7. It never stops, but you don’t have to either.
When you’ve got diabetes, it doesn’t mean life stops. People have become professional athletes, topped the charts and ruled the country with diabetes.
8. In the UK alone diabetes accounts for 20 foot related amputations every day
140 amputations a week in the UK as a consequence of diabetes.
DON’T BECOME A STATISTIC
See a podiatrist and let us care for your feet……….. Contact us here