Staying well with
Diabetes
Contents
Factsheet 1
The main signs of type 2 diabetes
Factsheet 2
The main signs of type 1 diabetes
Factsheet 3
What is diabetes?
Factsheet 4
How to find out if you have diabetes
Factsheet 5
Keeping healthy when you have diabetes
Factsheet 6
Type 2 diabetes and looking after
yourself
Factsheet 7
Type 1 diabetes and looking after
yourself
Who the factsheets are for
 Factsheet for all patients who are: overweight;
over 40 years old; from an Asian or Afro
Caribbean family or who have a relative with
diabetes
1
The main signs of type 2 diabetes
 Factsheets for patients who are being checked
for diabetes
3
What is diabetes?
4
How to find out if you have diabetes
1
The main signs of type 2 diabetes or
2
The main signs of type 1 diabetes
 Factsheets for all patients with type 2 diabetes
6
5
Type 2 diabetes and looking after yourself
Keeping healthy when you have diabetes
 Factsheets for all patients with type 1 diabetes
7
Type 1 diabetes and looking after yourself
5
Keeping healthy when you have diabetes
Factsheet
1
The main signs of type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can start very slowly. You
might not notice the signs yourself.
The doctor might find out that you have
type 2 diabetes when he or she is giving
you a health check.
But there are some signs of type 2 diabetes
that you might notice.
They are
Feeling very thirsty
Needing to wee a lot
Feeling tired a lot
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Feeling hungry straight after a meal
Losing weight
Cuts and sores healing very slowly
Getting a thrush infection. Thrush is an
itchy infection you get on your penis or in
your vagina.
Your sight being blurred. This means things
looking fuzzy.
If you have any of these signs of
diabetes is important to see your GP
straight away.
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Factsheet
2
The main signs of type 1 diabetes
The signs of type 1 diabetes can start very
quickly. You could notice them in just a few
weeks.
It could be any of these signs
Feeling very thirsty
Needing to wee a lot
Feeling very tired
Losing weight
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Stomach cramps
Skin infections
Getting thrush infections. Thrush is an
itchy infection you get on your penis or in
your vagina.
Your sight being blurred. This means things
look fuzzy.
If you have any of the signs of diabetes
you must see your GP straight away
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Factsheet
3
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a life-long illness. It is caused by
having a high amount of sugar in your blood.
How does diabetes happen?
A hormone called insulin controls the amount
of sugar in our blood.
When you eat food your body digests it and
it goes into your blood.
Insulin helps to move the sugar from your
food out of your blood and into your cells.
The sugar is used by your cells to make
energy. We need energy so we can move
around and for our bodies to work properly.
If you have diabetes there is a problem with
this insulin system. Your body stops making
enough insulin to turn the sugar from your
food into energy.
The sugar from your food stays in your blood.
When you have a lot of sugar in your blood it
is called a high blood sugar level.
High blood sugar levels damage your body.
That is why it is very important to have
treatment for diabetes as soon as possible.
Factsheet
4
Finding out if you have diabetes
It is important to find out if you have
diabetes as soon as possible.
This is so you can start your treatment.
The doctor will ask you some questions.
He or she will ask you to do a wee sample.
Your wee sample will be tested to see if it
has sugar in it.
Normally wee does not have sugar in it.
If your wee has sugar in it the doctor will do
a blood test.
This will show if you have diabetes.
If your results are not very clear you may
need to have a test in your mouth. This is
called a glucose tolerance test.
Glucose is another word for sugar.
Your doctor will give you a sugar drink.
He or she will take blood tests to see how
your body is dealing with the sugar.
If you have got diabetes you may need
more tests.
Your doctor might do extra blood and wee
tests to find out which kind of diabetes you
have.
Factsheet
5
Keeping healthy when you have
diabetes
Healthy eating
Healthy eating is one of the most important
things you can do to stay well when you
have diabetes.
If you have diabetes you don’t need to eat
different food. Your diet should be a healthy
diet like anyone else.
Don’t use diabetic foods or drinks. They
don’t do you any good and they are very
expensive.
Top tips for healthy eating when
you have diabetes
Eat three meals a day
Make sure you have breakfast, lunch and an
evening meal.
Never skip meals.
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Have a healthy snack to keep you going if
can’t have a meal at your usual time.
Healthy snacks are things like Fruit
Nuts
Cheese and plain biscuits
Yoghurts or instant porridge
Eat starchy foods
Starchy foods are things like bread, pasta, chapattis, potatoes, noodles,
rice, porridge, muesli and other cereals
Wholemeal and whole grain bread, rice and
pasta are the best.
Cut down on fat
Eat chicken, turkey, lamb or beef with the
fat cut off, eggs and fish
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Eat low-fat dairy foods like skimmed or
semi-skimmed milk, low-fat or diet yogurts,
cheese and spreads
Grill, steam or oven bake food instead of
frying
Eat more fruit and vegetables
Try and eat at least five portions of fruit and
vegetables every day
A portion is
1 banana or apple
a handful of grapes
a small handful of dried fruit
a mug full of vegetables
or a cereal bowl of salad
Eat more beans and lentils
Eat kidney beans, baked beans, butter
beans, chickpeas and lentils.
Try adding them to stews, soups or salads.
Try and eat oily fish twice a week
Mackerel, sardines, salmon and pilchards
are oily fish. They are very good for keeping
you healthy.
Cut down on sugar and sugary drinks
You don’t need to stop eating sugar
completely.
You can use sugar sometimes if you are
making cakes and puddings.
Swap chocolate and sweets for dried fruit,
nuts, cheese or plain biscuits.
Swap sugary drinks for water, tea, coffee or
fruit teas.
You can have sugar-free squash or sugarfree fizzy drinks as a treat sometimes.
Sugary drinks are best used as a treatment
for hypos.
3
Eat less salt
Too much salt is extra bad for you if you
have diabetes.
Cut down on ready meals and take-aways
as they are very salty.
Cut down on crisps and other salty snacks.
They should be a treat just once or twice a
week.
Try cooking using herbs and spices instead
of salt.
Drinking alcohol
If you have diabetes you should be very
careful about how much alcohol you drink.
Do not drink alcohol every day.
Never drink alcohol if you haven’t eaten.
Alcohol can cause either very high blood
sugar or very low blood sugar levels.
Women should have no more than 1 or 2
alcoholic drinks when they have a drink.
Men should have no more than 2 or 3
alcoholic drinks when they have a drink.
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Exercise
It is very important to keep as fit as
possible when you have diabetes.
Exercise lowers your blood sugar levels.
It can be any exercise that gets you slightly
out of breath and makes your heart beat a
bit faster.
Getting started might not be easy but you
will feel better once you start.
 Doing some exercise most days is best.
Try walking to the local shop or park
every day.
 As well as walking you might like to try
swimming, dancing or going to the gym.
 Check with the nurse or doctor before
starting a new type of exercise.
Do not smoke
Smoking is extra dangerous for people with
diabetes.
If you have diabetes you have a bigger
chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
Smoking makes the risk even bigger.
If you smoke your nurse or doctor can help
you stop.
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Look after your feet
If you have diabetes you are more likely to
get problems with your feet.
This is because your blood does not flow as
well as normal. Without good blood flow
your feet can get infected.
Keep your nails short and wash your feet
every day.
Dry your feet really well. Damp feet can get
infected more easily.
Wear shoes that fit properly.
Check your feet for any cuts, blisters or
grazes. Your feet could get infected from
any of these things.
Check for swollen feet and skin that feels
hot when you touch it.
Tell your doctor or nurse about any changes
to your feet.
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Other health problems you might get if
you have diabetes
Diabetes and high blood sugar can lead to
lots of other health problems.
Your doctor might need to give you more
medicines to keep you well.
Heart disease and stroke
If you have diabetes you are more likely to
have a heart attack or a stroke. This is
because high blood sugar damages your
veins and arteries.
The doctor might give you medicine to stop
this happening.
Nerve Damage
Big amounts of sugar in your blood can also
damage your nerves. This can give you a
tingling or burning pain in your fingers, toes
and up your arms and legs.
Tell your doctor if this happens.
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Eye damage
Your sight could be damaged if you don’t
control your blood sugar levels.
This is because high blood sugar damages
the blood supply to your eyes.
You should have an eye test every year.
This will pick up early signs of eye problems
so they can be treated.
Kidney Disease
Your kidneys might not work so well if you
have diabetes. Your kidneys are very
important because they clean your blood.
You can help your kidneys to work well by
trying to keep your blood sugar levels
normal.
Your doctor might need to give you blood
pressure tablets to help your kidneys stay
healthy.
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Tell other people about your diabetes
If you have diabetes you should wear an
identity bracelet or necklace.
This will let people know that you have
diabetes.
If you black out or collapse people will then
know you have diabetes.
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Factsheet
6
Type 2 diabetes
Most people who have diabetes have type 2
diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes happens when:
 your body cannot make enough insulin
to control the amount of sugar in your
blood
or
 your body cannot use the insulin it
makes
There are things that make you more likely
to get type 2 diabetes. They are:
 being overweight
 being over 40

someone in your family having diabetes
 being of Asian or Afro Caribbean origin
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When you have type 2 diabetes sugar builds
up in your blood. When you have a lot of
sugar in your blood it damages your body.
It is very important to try and get your
blood sugar levels back to normal.
High blood sugar harms your body.
To keep your blood sugar down you need to
eat healthily and take plenty of exercise.
Try and lose weight if you need to.
If you eat a healthy diet and do enough
exercise your blood sugar levels could go
down to normal. You will still have diabetes.
But you will feel well and keep as healthy as
possible.
Type 2 diabetes can get worse after a while.
Most people will need tablets or insulin after
a few years.
Looking after yourself when you have
type 2 diabetes
Checking your blood sugar levels
The diabetes nurse or doctor will need to
check your blood sugar levels every 2 to 6
months.
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The doctor or nurse will tell you if you need
to check your own blood sugar levels. This
will be with a blood test you can use at
home. They will tell you how to use it.
Medicines for type 2 diabetes
Healthy eating and exercise might not be
enough to control your blood sugar.
You might need tablets to lower the sugar
in your blood.
If the tablets are not working you might
need to have insulin treatment.
Insulin comes in different types.
Some work for a whole day and some only
last a short time. It always has to be
injected.
Insulin Injections
If you need to take insulin by injection your
nurse or doctor will tell you when you need
to take it.
They will show you how to inject it yourself
or with your supporter.
Most people need between 2 and 4
injections a day.
Your doctor or diabetes nurse will also teach
one of your close friends or family how to
inject the insulin properly.
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Hyper or high blood sugar
If you have diabetes your blood sugar levels
can sometimes get too high.
This is called hyperglycaemia or hyper.
The signs of a hyper are like the main signs
of diabetes. But they might be stronger and
come on suddenly.
The signs include
 Being very thirsty
 Tiredness
 Needing to wee a lot
These are some of the reasons your blood
sugar can get high and give you a hyper
 Being ill or having an injury
 Having an operation
 Not having enough medication. Or having
the wrong type of medication.
 Not having enough exercise
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 Too much food or the wrong sort of food.
If you are eating too many sugary foods or
drinks your blood sugar levels can go up.
 Putting on weight.
If you become heavier you will need more
insulin to keep your blood sugar normal.
 Stress or worry
If you find your blood sugar levels are too
high drink some water or another sugarfree drink.
Wait for a while and then test your blood
again.
Tell the doctor if you have very high blood
sugar levels and they don’t go down.
It will harm your body if it is not treated.
Your doctor will tell you what to do if your
blood sugar levels stay too high. He or she
might say you need more medication for
your diabetes. Or they might suggest you
change your diet and do more exercise.
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Hypo or very low blood sugar
Very low blood sugar is called
hypoglycaemia or hypo.
You might get a hypo if you take insulin or
some sorts of tablets for your type 2
diabetes.
These are some things that can give you a
hypo
a late or missed meal or snack
too much diabetes medication
unplanned exercise
Signs of a hypo can be

feeling shaky and weak

feeling very hungry

feeling grumpy

things looking blurred or
fuzzy
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
tingling lips

feeling sick
How to stop a hypo
Have a sugary drink like fruit juice. Or eat
some sweets.
If you take insulin always keep some
glucose tablets or sweets with you in case
you have a hypo.
After the sugar eat a starchy snack like a
biscuit or sandwich. Or have your next meal
if it is time for it.
Tell someone that you have had a hypo in
case you are still not well.
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Factsheet
7
Type 1 diabetes
People have type 1 diabetes when their
body makes no insulin at all.
Most people get type 1 diabetes before the
age of 40.
We do not know exactly what causes type 1
diabetes. It can run in families.
If you have type 1 diabetes you will need to
take insulin. This is because your body
cannot make insulin on its own.
If you have type 1 diabetes you will need to
have insulin injections for the rest of your
life.
Insulin comes in different types. Some work
for a whole day. Some last only a short
time.
It always has to be injected.
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Looking after yourself when you have
type 1 diabetes
If you have diabetes you will need to look
after your health very carefully.
It is important that you eat healthy food
and do plenty of exercise.
Blood sugar testing
It is very important to try and make sure
your blood sugar levels are normal.
You will be given a small machine to check
your blood sugar levels.
The doctor or diabetes nurse will explain
how to use the machine.
You might be asked to test your blood sugar
before meals and at bed time. It could be
more times than this if your doctor or nurse
thinks it would help you stay well.
Blood sugar levels should normally be
between 4 and 7 before meals.
Your doctor or nurse will tell you what to do
if your blood sugar levels are higher or
lower.
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Regular Check-Ups
Your GP or diabetes nurse will need to
check your eyes, feet and nerves regularly
because they can be harmed by diabetes.
Hyper or very high blood sugar
When you have diabetes your blood sugar
levels can sometimes get too high.
This is called hyperglycaemia or hyper.
The signs of a hyper are like the main signs
of diabetes. But they might be stronger and
sudden.
The signs of a hyper include:
• being very thirsty
• a dry mouth
• things looking blurred or fuzzy
• feeling tired and sleepy
• needing to wee a lot
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A hyper can happen because
• you have eaten more than usual
• you are ill
• you didn’t take enough insulin
Your doctor or nurse will tell you what to do
if you have a hyper.
You may need to drink extra sugar-free
drinks.
Or you may need to take some more
insulin.
If your blood sugar level stays high your
doctor might ask you to change either
 the sort of food you eat
 or the amount of insulin you take
Tell the doctor if you have very high blood
sugar levels and they don’t go down.
It will harm you if it is not treated.
4
Hypo or very low blood sugar
When you have diabetes your blood sugar
levels can become very low.
This is called hypoglycaemia or hypo.
A hypo can happen if you

take too much insulin

miss a meal

drink alcohol without eating

exercise very hard
Signs of a hypo can be -
feeling shaky and weak
feeling very hungry
feeling grumpy or confused
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sweating
things looking blurred or fuzzy
tingling lips
feeling sick
How to stop a hypo
Have a sugary drink like fruit juice. Or eat
some sweets.
Always keep some glucose tablets or
sweets with you in case you have a hypo.
After the sugar eat a starchy snack like a
biscuit or sandwich. Or have your next
meal if it is time for it.
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Tell someone that you have had a hypo in
case you are still not well.
If a hypo is not stopped you might
Get very confused
Find it hard to speak
Collapse
If this happens you will need emergency
treatment. Call 999 or ask someone
else to do it for you.
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When you have diabetes there are some
other signs that you might need a doctor
urgently.
The signs are -
feeling very sick or being sick
bad stomach pain
a high temperature
If you have these symptoms call
999 or ask someone else to do it for
you.
Sources: The Foundation for People with Learning
Disabilities, diabetes.org.uk, diabetes.co.uk, NHS
Inform and easyhealth.org.uk
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