Diabetes
About diabetes
Diabetes is a condition where your blood glucose level is too high. There are 2 main types of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes – a lifelong condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin
- Type 2 diabetes – where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells do not react to insulin properly
A record number of people in the UK are living with type 2 diabetes, including over 129,000 people in north east London. While type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, type 2 diabetes is largely preventable.
Symptoms of diabetes
The symptoms can depend on the type of diabetes you have. But the common symptoms of diabetes include:
- Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night
- Being really thirsty
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Losing weight without trying to
- Genital itching or thrush
- Cuts and wounds take longer to heal
- Blurred vision
Where to get support
If you are worried you may have diabetes, speak to your GP for advice. They can advise you on how to get a diagnosis and the support that would be available to you to help manage your condition.
You should also attend your free NHS Health Check when invited. They are available every 5 years to anyone aged 40 to 74, and can tell you whether you’re at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes. If you are unsure if you are due a check, contact your GP.
In north east London we fund a number of services to help people reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and to manage their weight if they already have type 2 diabetes.
Find out more about these services in our service directory.
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