Diabetes can affect children and adults, with around 3.8 million people diagnosed with the condition in the UK alone. It’s estimated that there are a further one million undiagnosed diabetics in the UK, taking the total tally to nearly 4.8 million.
You can’t diagnose diabetes with home tests; if you are concerned that you or your child may be diabetic, you should consult with a medical practitioner.
Some of the symptoms that you might be diabetic include:
- Extreme thirst
- Feeling constantly tired
- Urinating frequently
- Unexplained weight loss
- Increased appetite
- Mood changes
- Blurred vision
- Slow healing
- Regular infections in the skin or soft tissues, such as the gums or vagina
You don’t need to have all of these symptoms to be diabetic. It’s important to be diagnosed as early as possible as uncontrolled diabetes carries the risk of complications developing, which may be irreversible.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, managing your condition is essential. For many people, this means monitoring your own blood sugar levels in between check-ups with your GP surgery.
It may sound daunting but there are lots of different kits available to monitor your blood sugar levels, and it’s very easy to do. Our online pharmacy has the monitoring systems, as well as replacement test strips and needles which you can order 24/7.
Not everyone needs medication or insulin for their diabetes, but if you do, it’s possible that your blood sugar levels may sometimes dip too low. It’s very useful to have glucose tablets on hand bring blood sugars back to the correct level.
Glucose tablets work more effectively than eating high-glucose food and they are available in a range of fruity flavours.
Other diabetic products include foot cream, and moisturisers both of which help to keep skin supple and free of infections.