The 14th November marks World Diabetes Day. Diabetes is often misunderstood condition that impacts a large part of the UK. According to Diabetes UK, it is predicted that 5.5 million people will have diabetes in the UK by 2030. Diabetes can be avoided, but genetics and other external factors can cause the condition to develop in people unexpectedly.
The most common types of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are:
Type 1
Feeling very thirsty
Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
Feeling very tired
Losing weight without trying
Thrush that keeps coming back
Blurred vision
Cuts and grazes that are not healing
Fruity-smelling breath
Type 2
Urinating more often than usual, particularly at night
Feeling very thirsty
Feeling very tired
Unexplained weight loss
Itchiness around the genital area, or regular bouts of thrush (a yeast infection)
Cuts or wounds that heal slowly
Blurred vision – caused by the lens of the eye becoming dry
One way the condition can present itself is during pregnancy. This is known as gestational diabetes. During pregnancy, your placenta makes hormones that cause glucose to build up in your blood. Usually, your pancreas can send out enough insulin to handle it. But if your body can't make enough insulin or stops using insulin as it should, your blood sugar levels rise, which therefore causes gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes usually disappears after giving birth. Not all people will experience this during pregnancy, and the level of severity can vary from person to person.
A few of the potential signs to look out for while pregnant are blurred vision, fatigue, frequent urination, and unusual thirst.
Visit the World Diabetes Day website for more information.
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