What do diabetes uk do

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Save for later Page saved! You can go back to this later in your Diabetes and Me Close. Diabetes is a life-long health condition caused by excess levels of glucose in the blood. Whilst both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are characterised by having higher than normal blood glucose levels, the cause and development of the conditions are different. Diabetes mellitus is a significant global burden for health care.

There are approximately million people worldwide and in the UK around 5. Across the UK there are over 3. This represents approximately 8. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body are destroyed and the body is unable to produce insulin. It is unclear why this happens but the most likely reason is that the body has an abnormal reaction to the cells and begins to destroy them.

This could be triggered by an infection or virus but again this is not known for sure. It can develop at any age but usually appears before the age of 40, and especially in childhood.

A person with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections or use an insulin pump for life. They will also need to ensure that their blood glucose level stays balanced by eating a healthy diet, take regular physical activity and carry out regular blood glucose testing.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still produce some insulin but not enough for it to function properly, or when the cells in the body do not react properly to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. The treatment of type 2 diabetes centres on lifestyle management including a healthy diet, regular exercise and the person monitoring their blood glucose level. As the condition progresses over time, oral therapies are used. There are several oral therapies for diabetes.

Some help the body to use insulin more effectively whilst others increase the amount of insulin that the body produces. However, if these do not prove to be an effective control, then the person with diabetes may require insulin or other injectable therapies RCN, Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity and later life. However, it is also increasingly becoming more common in children, adolescents and young people of all ethnicities but is particularly prevalent in people of South Asian ethinicity.

Type 2 diabetes is far more common than any other type. Gestational diabetes arises usually during the second or third trimester. The hormones produced during pregnancy can make it difficult for the body to utilise insulin properly. Women affected by gestational diabetes do not have diabetes before pregnancy and after giving birth, blood glucose levels return to normal.

However, women with a history of gestational diabetes are at a seven fold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life and should be made aware of the signs of hyperglycaemia alongside appropriate monitoring. You can help manage type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, regular exercise and achieving a healthy body weight. If you're diagnosed with diabetes, you'll need to eat healthily , take regular exercise and carry out regular blood tests to ensure your blood glucose levels stay balanced.

You can use the BMI healthy weight calculator to check whether you're a healthy weight. You can find apps and tools to help you manage your diabetes and have a healthier lifestyle in the NHS Apps Library.

People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes also require regular insulin injections for the rest of their life. As type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, medicine may eventually be required, usually in the form of tablets. Everyone with diabetes aged 12 or over should be invited to have their eyes screened once a year. 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 involves a minute check to examine the back of the eyes, is a way of detecting the condition early so it can be treated more effectively.