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  • 07/06/2024
What is diabetes?
Transcript
00:00 What is diabetes?
00:02 Diabetes is a serious condition where your blood sugar levels,
00:06 also known as blood glucose levels, are too high.
00:09 It's diagnosed from a blood test.
00:12 There are two main types,
00:14 type 1 and type 2, which is the most common,
00:18 and lots of other types like gestational diabetes,
00:22 type 3c and MODY.
00:26 The causes and symptoms depend on the type of diabetes you have.
00:31 Diabetes happens because of a problem with a hormone called insulin.
00:36 When you eat or drink,
00:38 any carbohydrates you've had are turned into glucose,
00:42 a type of sugar.
00:44 Insulin acts like a key to unlock the cells to let the sugar in,
00:49 to give you energy.
00:51 If you have diabetes, this can't happen,
00:54 so sugar builds up in the blood.
00:57 High blood sugars over time can cause problems
01:00 in almost every part of your body,
01:03 from your brain to your feet.
01:05 So treatment is about trying to keep blood sugars within a target range.
01:10 Being as active as possible,
01:13 eating healthily and going for regular health checks will help you do this.
01:18 Some people will also need to take insulin or other medication
01:22 and check their blood sugars regularly.
01:25 Lots of things can affect blood sugars,
01:27 so it can be tricky to balance,
01:29 but it's possible to lead a full life.
01:32 It's about being in tune with your body
01:34 and learning what works for you.
01:36 You can get more support from your medical team
01:39 and us here at Diabetes UK.
01:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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