Although the incidence of type 1 Diabetes is relatively unchanged there is a continued rise of type 2 Diabetes, largely in part to do with growing obesity and lack of exercise and unhealthy eating. This disease as explained below causes all manner of problems to our health and its not just related, to feeling tired and passing more urine. Type 2 Diabetes is one of those insidious conditions that creep up on us causing unrepairable damage to our eye sight, kidneys, our cardiovascular system, which can lead to gangerine and the loss of our limbs.
Type 1 is an acute disease that happens rapidly and its pretty easy to spot that there is something obviously wrong, type 2 can be difficult to spot. Diabetes is a systemic disease irrespective of whatever type you have, for every single cell in the body is affected by it. To put it simply each body cell is unable to process energy in the normal way, cells are unable to taken in glucose, the cell's fuel, so it has to break down fat and protein instead this leads to ketones forming in the body, deadly if unchecked in type 1 but it creeps up slowly in type 2. The bodies cells then cannot function correctly so the nerve cells, blood cells are affected in fact every single cell in the body, leading to the problems of poor circulation, increased infection and diminished nerve sensations etc. As the body tries to create homeostasis within the body, it tries to get rid of the excess sugar (glucose) in the blood by excreting it as urine, this of course creates the classic, passing excess urine and increased thirst. The symptoms of tiredness are because all the body's cells are not getting the glucose they need for energy.
Type 2 is less likely to develop if we have a good balanced diet and watch our weight. Sadly this type of diabetes is now showing up in overweight children, who have a diet high in refined carbohydrates and high in fat and who do not have adequate exercise
The following article below I have taken from Yahoo Health News
Diabetes: do you have it, but don't know it?
World Diabetes Day
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According to Diabetes UK, most cases of diabetes are detected by accident, when the person visits their doctor with another medical condition.
But a late diagnosis of diabetes increases the risk of serious complications such as stroke, kidney failure, blindness, heart disease and amputation.
Middle aged men are twice as likely to have diabetes compared with women, but are less likely to visit their GP.
Most at risk
Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor. Around 80 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Other risk factors include:- Having a large waist
- Being of Black or South Asian origin
- Having a family history of the condition
- Being over the age of 40, or over 25 if you’re Black or of South Asian descent
Diabetes warning signs
- Increased thirst
- Having to pee all the time, especially at night
- Extreme tiredness
- Blurred vision
- Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
- Wounds which are slow to heal
Diabetes risk assessment
As part of the NHS Health Check scheme for people aged between 40 and 74, GPs will assess whether you are at risk of developing, or may have type 2 diabetes.Your BMI, blood pressure and family history will be taken into account. Depending on the results, they may order further tests to check your blood sugar levels.
If the assessment finds you are at an increased risk of developing diabetes, your GP will advise you on steps you should take to lower your risk of developing the disease.
