Symptoms and Causes of Diabetes

The rise in diabetes is a serious concern for medical professionals in the UK. A recent article in The Guardian highlighted that the number of people under 40 years old in the UK being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is rising faster than those over 40. This is coupled with the announcement from the World Health Organisation that the UK ranks among the worst in Europe for overweight or obese citizens. In fact, only Turkey and Malta rank higher. There is little wonder that diabetes is now a huge health concern in the UK.

This is why World Diabetes Day is being marked on the 14th of November.

The Types of Diabetes

There are 2 major types of recognised diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 occurs when a person’s immune system attacks and depletes their levels of insulin.  There is so much that is unknown about type 1 diabetes but scientists believe a core factor in the disease is environmental, often citing viruses that trigger the affliction. Type 2 diabetes is the form that is gaining far more press and government coverage. This is because of the disease’s link to diet and a lack of physical activity. This type of diabetes usually starts with a resistance to insulin. This is where a person’s muscles, liver and fat cells do not use the body’s insulin in the right way. As a result, the body requires more glucose to operate. It is also true that a person’s genetics can determine their likelihood of developing either form of diabetes.

Symptoms of Diabetes

It is vitally important that we all understand the symptoms of diabetes not only in ourselves but also in our loved ones. This is especially important to monitor in relation to type 2 diabetes as often the symptom connected to this variant develop slowly, sometimes over the course of several years.

The core symptoms of diabetes include:

  • Increased thirst, even being unable to quench your thirst
  • Increased fatigue
  • Needing to urinate more often
  • Blurred vision
  • Numbness, pins and needles or tingling in your hands or feet.
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Sores that do not heal

In a recent study, an increased emphasis on numbness of the feet has been linked as a key indicator in the development of the disease.

If you are concerned about diabetes, for either you or for a loved one more information can be found here – www.diabetes.org.uk. If you or a loved one are demonstrating any of the symptoms above or are concerned about diabetes we would recommend contacting your GP who will be able to arrange a test to see if you are suffering from diabetes.

If you would like to know more about how to decrease your chances of developing diabetes, it may be worth reading the following article.