Help to reduce your diabetes risk
If you don’t have diabetes, our pharmacists can also give you advice on reducing your diabetes risk. Some pharmacies offer NHS diabetes screening tests.
Diabetes is a long-term condition that causes high levels of sugar in the blood.
High levels of sugar in the blood can cause both short-term and long-term medical problems.
Our pharmacists can also give you advice on reducing your diabetes risk and help those who live with it with their devices and medicines.
If you don’t have diabetes, our pharmacists can also give you advice on reducing your diabetes risk. Some pharmacies offer NHS diabetes screening tests.
Our pharmacists can help you be confident in how to use devices or use diabetes treatments safely and effectively.
Head into your nearest Well pharmacy. You can speak to a member of team privately about your concerns.
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It doesn't matter whether you've just been diagnosed or have had your diabetes diagnosis for a while, our team can help you with the daily management of your condition.
Diabetes is a condition that happens when your blood glucose, or blood sugar, is too high.
Our blood glucose levels are usually controlled by a hormone called insulin. People with diabetes don’t have enough insulin in the body or the insulin does not work properly, so the sugar increases over time.
There are several types of diabetes, which include:
Type 1 diabetes develops quickly, usually over a few weeks. It occurs when the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed.
Around 90% of people in the UK with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This developes more slowly, over a period of years, when there is not enough insulin in the body or the insulin produced does not work properly.
The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is increased if you are overweight or obese, particularly if you have a high waist circumference. You are also at risk if you are of South Asian, Chinese, African Caribbean or Black African decent, or have a relative who also has diabetes.
Diabetes can also occur when you are pregnant.
Diabetes should be diagnosed by a doctor or a specialist nurse. You should see your GP if you have excessive thirst, need to urinate frequently, or are feeling very tired. These can be symptoms of diabetes.
People with type 2 diabetes might not know that they’ve got the condition because the symptoms are not always obvious.
If you have a close relative who has diabetes, or if you're overweight or obese, particularly if you have a high waist circumference, then you might want to take a diabetes screening test to check for type 2 diabetes.
Getting diagnosed early can mean that treatment can be started before long-term damage is done.
It is important to maintain blood sugar levels to prevent long-term complications such as kidney, eye, heart and nerve damage.
Learn what type 1 diabetes is and how it can be managed using insulin and lifestyle changes.
It's estimated that 1.3 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes. Learn how it's diagnosed and how to manage the symptoms.
Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugars while you're pregnant. Although it usually goes away on its own, it's important to know how to cope while you have the symtpoms. We explain how.
Learn about the key differences in causes, symptoms, and treatment between type 1 and type 2.
An insulin pump can help you manage your blood sugar on a daily basis. Our pharmacist explain how.
Want a better picture of your blood sugars? A continuous glucose monitor can help you track them and improve your control.
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