Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose (sugar) in your blood.

This happens when your body cannot make enough of a hormone called insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it makes.

There are 3 main types of diabetes:

• type 1 when your body stops making insulin
• type 2 when your body does not use insulin efficiently or can no longer make enough insulin
• gestational diabetes.

Diabetes can be managed with the right treatment plan, but can require daily care and medication.

At risk groups

Anyone can develop diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition and can be passed down through families.

Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes can include:

• family history
• being overweight
• poor diet
• inactive lifestyle
• smoking.

Some groups of people are more at risk, including:

• Aboriginal people
• women with polycystic ovary syndrome
• women who have had gestational diabetes
• people aged over 55
• people with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Symptoms

Type 1 diabetes, symptoms can come on suddenly and can be life threatening.

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may not have any symptoms or, symptoms can go unnoticed until there are complications.

Some symptoms of diabetes include:

• being very thirsty
• needing to go to the toilet more often to urinate
• feeling very tired
• blurred vision
• feeling hungry
• losing weight without trying
• headaches
• feeling dizzy
• slow healing wounds
• skin infections
• dark patches on the skin in body folds and creases more obvious in darker skin types.

Complications

Diabetes can affect the whole body.

You can have long term and short term complications.

This can happen when blood glucose levels are:

• too high (hyperglycaemia), or
• too low ( hypoglycaemia).

Hyperglycaemia

Hyperglycaemia happens when blood glucose levels become too high.

This can be caused by:

• eating too much high carbohydrate food
• not doing enough physical activity
• not taking enough insulin
• not taking your medication as prescribed by your doctor
• being unwell
• an infection
• stress.

Symptoms of your blood glucose levels being too high include:

• being very thirsty
• needing to urinate more often
• feeling very tired
• blurred vision
• having trouble focusing
• a change in behaviour, like irritability
• frequent infections, like thrush and other skin infections.

It is important to keep your blood glucose levels under control to reduce the risk of complications.

Complications of  hyperglycaemia

Hyperglycaemia can lead to life threatening complications.

Complications can include:

• diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) usually in people with type 1 diabetes
• hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS) in people with type 2 diabetes.

DKA and HHS are medical emergencies and need to be treated quickly.

If you regularly have high blood glucose levels, it can increase the risk of other health complications, including:

• kidney disease
• cardiovascular and heart disease
• foot problems
• becoming blind or other eye problems
• nerve problems.

Hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia is when your blood glucose levels drop too low, this can happen when you have:

• taken certain diabetes medications or are using insulin
• not eaten enough carbohydrate foods
• intense physical activity
• drunk alcohol while taking insulin or other medications.

Symptoms of your blood glucose levels being too low include:

• shaking
• sweating
• tingling around the mouth
• feeling nervous
• having trouble focusing
• confusion
• blurred vision.

Hypoglycaemia should be treated quickly by having fast-acting glucose such as:

• jelly beans
• honey
• full sugar soft drink
• fruit juice.

If not treated, it can lead to fitting or becoming unconscious.

You can reduce your risk of developing low blood glucose levels by eating longer-acting carbohydrate foods such as a sandwich after having your fast-acting glucose.

Diabetes care team

Many different health care professionals can help you learn and look after your diabetes.

They can help:

• explain your treatment
• make a daily treatment plan
• you with healthy eating and physical activity
• refer you to specialists
• provide prescriptions for medication
• check different parts of the body where diabetes can cause complications
• you with a chronic disease management care plan to help with visits to allied health professionals each year.

Health professionals in your diabetes care team may include:

• doctors
• diabetes educator
• dietitian
• endocrinologist
• Aboriginal health care workers
• pharmacist
• podiatrist
• optometrist
• physiotherapist
• counsellor, social worker or psychologist.

Diabetes Support

It is important to talk to your health care team to find the right support if you have any type of diabetes.

Healthy Living NT

Healthy Living NT provides services for all types of diabetes in:

• Darwin
• Palmerston
• Alice Springs

Phone appointments are available if you live outside of these regions.

For more information and to contact an office in your region, go to the Healthy Living NT website

National Diabetes Services Scheme

The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) is a Commonwealth Government program and register for all people with diabetes.

The NDSS offers:

• Support services for practical help and guidance
• Diabetes health information and resources
• Subsidised diabetes products

You can be signed up to the NDSS by your doctor, credentialed diabetes educator or nurse practitioner.

For more information about the NDSS go to the National Diabetes Services Scheme website