There has been a great deal of media focus on Diabetes in particular Type 2. It’s not just having diabetes that can be a concern to individuals, but also the perceived impact a diagnosis can have on someone’s whole wellbeing, both their physical and mental health can be impacted when someone receives a diagnosis of any long term health condition.
Early signs and symptoms are not always an obvious association with diabetes, you can also be symptom free. Once you reach the age of 40 you are eligible for an NHS Health Check, please click here for more information on what these are for and how they help to spot early signs of increased risk from developing conditions such as diabetes. They also offer a chance for you to find ways to lower your risk.
Common Signs and symptoms to look out for:
1. Increased thirst, feeling thirsty
2. Increased urination, especially during the night
3. Tiredness, lack of energy
4. Blurred vision
5. Poor healing or frequent infections such as thrush
7. Unexplained weight loss(prevalent with Type 1)
Type 2, however can be prevented by engaging in an active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a balanced diet. If you already have Type 2 Diabetes making some lifestyle changes can often have a significant impact on not only managing your diabetes, but your overall physical and mental health too. There is some evidence that there may be a hereditary factor in a few cases but generally the disease is related to a poor lifestyle, therefore it can be prevented. Diabetes is directly linked to and the cause of many other conditions the list below is a scary one but it doesn’t have to be a list that belongs to you!
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Hardening of the arteries
• Coronary Heart Disease
• Angina
• Stroke
• High Blood Pressure
• Circulatory problems
• Blindness
• Gingivitis and tooth loss
• Loss of sensation, foot ulcers, amputation
• Fatty Liver Disease
• Cancer
• Dementia
We can have a beneficial impact on our Diabetes by observing the following key lifestyle choices and taking back some control, please don’t think that once you have diabetes that’s it, you’re stuck with it and are then expected to manage it alone. Well managed Diabetes can have very little impact on your life and health, we have the power to hold back its progression and in some cases be able to lower medications. Anyone who has been told they are at risk of developing diabetes, this is not bad news it is giving you an opportunity to tweak a few lifestyle behaviours to prevent progression to a possible Diabetes diagnosis and the complications that can come with this condition.
1. Enjoying a healthy diet, (fresh foods not processed lots of variety and colours some fruit and oodles of vegetables!) It is not true that it costs more by the way....
2. Finding physical activities that you enjoy and are likely to keep doing and making activity part of your daily life.
3. Being and maintaining a healthy weight. (if you are already overweight losing even 5% of that weight will have a massive impact on your health...and then you can lose another 5%)
4. Drinking Alcohol in Moderation, (this does not mean it is compulsory by the way) government guidelines are no more than 14 units per week with at least two days alcohol free, this is for both men and women.
5. Taking prescribed medication. You may already be on meds' and these are prescribed to support your body in dealing with existing disease within the body.
6. Stopping smoking, One You Lincolnshire have an excellent Free Smoking Cessation Service that you can self-refer into via our website.
7. Managing stress Levels and achieving a goodnight’s sleep are so very important to our health. Try to take time to relax and limit screen time before bed. Most adults need between 6 and 9 hours of good quality sleep per night.
Here at One You Lincolnshire we strive to have a long-lasting impact on your health. We have several teams with expertise to support you at your disposal all are free of charge, you may need a referral from a medical professional to access these services. Please check out our social media pages for more information and stories of clients who have accessed our service.
Move More– Becoming more active
Eat Better– Weight Management Support
Smoking Cessation– Offering several avenues to support quitting smoking
Drink Less– Support to understand drinking and its health impacts
Our friendly Health Coaches can support you throughout your health improvement journey if you feel you need some behavioural and habit change support.
"During my work as a Health Coach I have seen many easily achieved improvements from Type 2 diabetic clients. These range from pre-diabetic patients returning to a normal Blood Glucose reading, medications being reduced as the body and health improve to some coming off medications entirely." Karen Horton, One You Lincolnshire Health Coach.
Diabetes UK have a know your risk tool, give it ago folks, you only have 'One You' and its about the 'Whole' You.
If you would like our support, we would love to hear from you.
The Steps2Change Specialist Diabetes Support Service information can also be found below here.
If your GP has sent you a letter which confirms that you are at risk of Type 2 diabetes, you are able to register for the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
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