Diabetes is a chronic condition where the levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood are too high. Blood glucose levels are normally regulated by the hormone insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Diabetes occurs when there is a problem with this hormone and how it works in the body.
Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia; increasing at a faster rate than other chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
Some types of diabetes have no symptoms, and can go undiagnosed for a long time, but some common symptoms can include:
- being more thirsty than usual
- passing more urine
- feeling tired and lethargic
- slow-healing wounds
- itching and skin infections
- blurred vision
- nausea and vomiting
- weight loss
- mood swings.
There is no cure for diabetes. Treatment aims to prevent complications by controlling blood glucose levels, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and by achieving a healthy body weight.
For the most common type of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, there are a number of risk factors over which you can have some control. These include:
- being overweight or obese, especially around the waist
- low levels of physical activity, including more than two hours of television watching per day
- unhealthy eating habits, such as regularly choosing high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt or low-fibre foods
- cigarette smoking.
People at risk need to visit their doctor to check if they have diabetes. It is important not to wait for symptoms to develop, as these may not appear until the blood glucose is quite high.
For more information click here to see the full article this information is taken from on the Better Health Victorian Government website.
Creswick Pharmacy can help you monitor and manage diabetes if you have been diagnosed with it, and we are also a registered NDSS Agent, so you can pick up your required strips in store. Come on in and speak with our trained pharmacists today about options to help.
