Living with diabetes

Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose (i.e. sugar) in your blood is too high because the body is unable to use it properly. This happens because your pancreas does not produce any insulin (a hormone), or not enough. 

What does the insulin do? It helps glucose to enter your body’s cells and glucose is used as fuel for energy so we can work, play and generally live our lives. It is vital for life. Sometimes the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance) and this can be caused by:

1. Too little insulin being produced by the pancreas
2. Your body not accepting or using the insulin it produces
3. A combination of both.

Type 1 diabetes generally occurs in young people, although it can occur at any age. Type 1 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have been destroyed and insulin can no longer be produced. 

Nobody knows for sure why this happens, but the most likely cause is your body's immune system — which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses — mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Genetics may play a role in this process, and may be triggered by a virus or other infection.

Type 2 diabetes generally occurs in middle-aged or elderly people, but is increasingly diagnosed in young adults and children who are overweight and inactive. This is the most common type of diabetes, but due to its gradual onset it often goes undiagnosed. 

The cells in the body are resistant to the effects of insulin or the body does not produce enough insulin, or a combination of both. Blood sugar levels can be controlled through diet and physical activity. Oral medicines may be used to help your body respond to the insulin you make. Insulin injections or insulin pumps are rarely needed. This form of diabetes is linked closely to obesity and physical inactivity – two factors you can do something about!

Typical symptoms include:
1. Unusual thirst
2. Frequent urination
3. Extreme fatigue
4. Unusual weight loss or lack of energy

Go to DIABETES: YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED!
Here you'll get a run down of the most commonly asked questions as well as dietitian-approved lifestyle strategies.

For more info on symptoms and risk factors, visit www.diabetes.org or www.diabetes.org.uk.