See Diabetes Differently (10th – 16th June Diabetes Awareness Week)

6th June 2019

This week is Diabetes Awareness Week in the U.K. and the theme this year is to help people – particularly those who nothing about it – to think about diabetes in a different way.

There are lots of myths surrounding the disease and sometimes it’s these that can make life difficult for people living with diabetes.

Perhaps you’re someone who thinks you can only get diabetes if you’re overweight? Or maybe you’ve heard that you can’t live a normal life if you’re diabetic?

Well here are some facts to help you understand diabetes better:

One in 15 of us live with diabetes
That’s 4.7 million people in the UK – more than cancer and dementia combined. In Stockport around 15,000 people have been diagnosed with diabetes but it’s estimated that over 27,000 more are either unaware that they have it or are at risk of developing it. Chances are lots of people you know are living with diabetes.

There are different types
Type 1 and Type 2 are the two main types of diabetes but there are rarer other types. What they all have in common is they raise sugar levels in the blood and that can seriously damage the body unless it’s controlled. Why they happen and how they’re treated varies.

Anyone can get it
Why people get diabetes is complicated. Some things increase your risk of developing it, from genetics and ethnic background to gender, age and lifestyle factors. But sometimes it isn’t clear why people get it. Anyone can get diabetes, at any time. It

It’s not just tablets or injections
It’s so much more than that. Every day involves a thousand little questions, decisions and things to remember. It is appointments, checks and calculations. It is knowing things won’t always go to plan. It’s day in, day out. It never stops.

It never stops, but you don’t have to either
When you’ve got diabetes, just getting through the day can sometimes be a monumental achievement. But it doesn’t mean life stops. People have become gold medal Olympians, topped the charts and ruled the country with diabetes. It might make life harder but it needn’t stop you fulfilling your dreams.