Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
There are 2 main types of diabetes:
type 1 diabetes – 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
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 (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/) to check whether you’re a healthy weight.
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.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
You can help manage type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, regular exercise and achieving a healthy body weight.
Our highly trained nurses offer comprehensive follow you up appointments for your diabetes. This includes regular blood monitoring, foot checks and make changes to your medications as deemed appropriate.
Diabetic eye screening
Everyone with diabetes aged 12 or over are 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 30-minute check to examine the back of the eyes, is a way of detecting the condition early so it can be treated more effectively. This is arranged by the surgery at Canley and you will be informed about the same.
Useful links below:
www.diabetes.org.uk
www.desmond.nhs.uk