World Diabetes Day
Published at 04 November, 2020.
Do you know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
World Diabetes Day is a global awareness campaign day which focuses on diabetes, this is held every year on 14 november. Yorkshire Smokefree is backing this campaign to make more people aware of diabetes and the typical symptoms to look out for as well as busting any myths around diabetes.
What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2?
Both types of diabetes are chronic diseases that affect the way your body regulates blood sugar or glucose. Glucose is the fuel that feeds your body’s cells but to enter your cell it needs a key, inulin is that key.
The main difference is that people with type 1 don’t produce insulin, think of it as not having a key.
People with type 2 don’t respond to insulin as well as they should and later in the disease often don't make enough insulin, think of it as having a broken key.
Type 1 is only diagnosed in infancy - this is a very common misconception, it is normally easier to diagnose in infancy/children as they tend to get sicker and is more pronounced, but type 1 can develop at any age. It is commonly missed even by the best doctors as there is still a lack of an understanding in the medical community, it is also tricky because some adults with new-onset type 1 diabetes are often not sick at first so doctors will automatically assume it is type 2 and start them on a new diet, exercise and oral medication.
Both types of diabetes, when not controlled, share many similar symptoms, including:
- Frequent urination
- Feeling very thirsty and drinking a lot
- Feeling very hungry
- Feeling very fatigued
- Blurry vision
- Cuts or sores that don't heal properly
People with type 2 diabetes will have symptoms straight away - this is another misconception, many people won’t have symptoms for many years, then will develop slowly over the course of time and some don’t have any symptoms until complications develop.
Did you know that smokers are 30-40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers? People with diabetes and smoke are more likely than nonsmokers to have trouble with insulin dosing and controlling their diabetes.
No matter what type of diabetes you have, smoking makes your diabetes harder to control, you are more likely to have serious health problems, and have higher risks for serious complications, including:
- heart and kidney disease
- Poor blood flow in the legs and feet
- Retinopathy
- Peripheral neuropathy
There are many ways we can help:
Quit online - https://yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/pages/quit-online
Our online quit tool will allow you to create your own personal profile and will support you on a daily basis through your quit journey.
Telephone support - our advisors are on hand to answer any questions or provide additional support as you need it. You can call 0800 612 0011 (free from landlines) or 0330 660 1166.
Visit our frequently asked questions section to find out more: https://yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/frequently-asked-questions
