NORTH THORESBY PRACTICE

DIABETES

Over 1.4 million people in the UK have diabetes and another million probably have the condition but don't know it. The percentages vary from 4 to 5% of the general population.

Diabetes - or to give it its full name, diabetes mellitus - is a common condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is unable to use it properly. This is because the body's method of converting glucose into energy is not working as it should.

Normally, a hormone called insulin carefully controls the amount of glucose in our blood. Insulin is made by a gland called the pancreas, which lies just behind the stomach. It helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body.

We obtain glucose from the food that we eat, either from sweet foods or from the digestion of starchy foods such as bread or potatoes. The liver can also make glucose.

After a meal, the blood glucose level rises and insulin is released into the blood. When the blood glucose level falls - for example, during physical activity - the level of insulin falls. Insulin, therefore, plays a vital role in regulating the level of blood glucose and, in particular, in stopping the blood glucose from rising too high.

There are two main types of diabetes. These are:

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, also known as non insulin dependent diabetes

Type 1 diabetes develops when there is a severe lack of insulin in the body because most or all of the cells in the pancreas that produce it have been destroyed. This type of diabetes usually appears in people under the age of 40, often in childhood. It is treated by insulin injections and diet.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still produce some insulin, though not enough for its needs, or when the insulin that the body produces does not work properly. This type of diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40. It is treated by diet alone, or by a combination of diet and tablets, or by a combination of diet and insulin injections.

The good news about diabetes is that treatments are very effective and the more you know about your condition, the more you can do to help yourself stay healthy; lead the sort of life you want to live, and to avoid the health problems associated with diabetes in later life.

After diagnosis, we will help you to monitor and prevent any complications from the condition and will encourage you to take control of it.

There are weekly diabetic clinics with a nurse and a doctor (usually Dr Massey as the clinical leader in this area for the Practice) totally dedicated to assess and treat your condition, modifying you treatment or/and arranging the appropriate referral to help you with different events.

The information of this page has been extracted from the website of the DIABETES UK Foundation.