National Diabetes Week is from July 12 – 18 and it aims to bring awareness to the struggles associated with living with diabetes. This year’s theme is ‘Heads Up on Diabetes’ which focuses on supporting the emotional and mental health of people living with diabetes.
The home doctor experts at House Call Doctor have all the information you should know about the condition.
Heads Up on Diabetes
National Diabetes Week aims to raise awareness of the mental and emotional challenges of managing diabetes, highlight the services and support available , and draw attention to gaps in diabetes service and care.
For the first time, Diabetes Queensland is hosting a Live Your Life Virtual EXPO on Saturday 18th July. It will be a free event that showcases the latest information for those living with diabetes, their families and carers.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition caused by too much glucose in the blood, which can damage the body’s blood vessels and nerves. The pancreas either cannot make insulin, or the amount of insulin produced is not enough, or both. As a result, someone with diabetes can experience high BGLs (hyperglycaemia) or low BGLs (hypoglycaemia) which are glucose levels outside of the ideal target range. If not managed, this can lead to other long-term health complications.
Types of diabetes
There are four types of diabetes, which are:
- Type 1 diabetes: a life-long autoimmune condition usually diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood.
- Type 2 diabetes: the most common type of diabetes, where the body still produces some insulin but it may not be enough to maintain healthy BGLs levels.
- Pre-diabetes: this occurs when your BGL is higher than normal but not high enough for you to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes: this type of diabetes occurs in pregnancy, but you can still have a healthy baby. It’s important it’s managed to reduce your risk of developing complications during your pregnancy.
