WOMAN’S GP DR HELEN WALL ON HER TOPIC OF THE WEEK
6 secret signs of diabetes
You may have a slim body, but subtle symptoms could reveal you’re not as healthy as you think
Did you know that there’s potentially up to one million people in the UK unaware they have diabetes? As a GP, I don’t expect all my patients to have an in-depth knowledge of everything medical, but I also know some conditions (such as type 2 diabetes) carry more myths than facts for many. These falsehoods about who’s at risk and what the real symptoms are can mean we struggle to get the right people through the door to diagnose it early enough.
WHAT’S THE IMPACT?
Diabetes is a chronic disease that happens as a result of your body not being able to process the sugar you consume. As a result, unmanaged diabetics have excess sugar circulating in the blood for prolonged periods of time, causing damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes (it accounts for 90% of cases), yet can go undiagnosed for years due to low level, unrecognised or zero symptoms. It tends to creep up gradually and you may be told beforehand that you are ‘at risk of diabetes’ as your blood sugar levels climb on your GP check-ups.
REDUCE YOUR RISK
If you are given this warning it’s time to take heed and make a few lifestyle changes – lose weight, exercise, eat better and reduce your alcohol intake. When my patients do this they can prevent an impending diabetes diagnosis and all the horrific complications along the way.
Having your NHS health check at your GP surgery will test for diabetes (every five years after age 40), so don’t forget to book in for it when it’s offered. While being overweight is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, I’ve met plenty of patients over the years who have a normal BMI, which shows that it can affect any of us.
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