Preventing diabetes and recognising its symptoms
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Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
If you think you might have diabetes, speak to your GP or pharmacist.
Diabetes comes in two forms: type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. It develops when the body is unable to produce any insulin. It generally occurs in children and young adults.
Type 1 accounts for around 10 per cent of cases.
Type 2 diabetes develops when:
- the body can still make some insulin, but not enough
or
- when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (also known as insulin resistance)
Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented and accounts for 90 per cent of all diabetes cases.
Having a family history of type 2 diabetes can increase your chances of developing the disease.
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If you have diabetes, a healthy diet and regular exercise are very important.
Prevention
If you are overweight or obese, losing weight and improving fitness can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
You can do this by choosing healthier food and being physically active for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Symptoms
Watch out for the following symptoms:
- increased thirst
- blurred vision
- frequent need to urinate (bedwetting with children)
- extreme tiredness
- slow-healing infections
- unexplained weight loss
Sometimes with type 2 diabetes, there might be no symptoms.
Effects
Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes.
Over time this leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
The effects of diabetes and its complications cannot be underestimated. Diabetes, left untreated, can cause:
- heart disease
- kidney damage
- eye problems which can affect vision
- foot problems, potentially leading to amputation