People across Yorkshire and the Humber region are being urged to get checked for diabetes.
This week (10 – 16 June) is Diabetes Awareness Week and health experts from NHS Yorkshire and the Humber say thousands of people in the region could have the condition without even realising it.
Director for public health at NHS North of England, Paul Johnstone, said:
“Diabetes can go undetected for years so it is important that people are aware of the symptoms so they can get the right treatment.
“NHS Yorkshire and the Humber is committed to raising awareness of diabetes to help people live with and better manage the condition so they can enjoy a better quality of life.
“If you are finding you are extremely thirsty, you need to urinate more often than usual, you’re constantly tired or have recurrent thrush, you should make an appointment with your GP to get checked.
“It is really important that diabetes is picked up and treated at an early stage. If left, it can cause really serious health conditions later on, such as circulation problems, heart disease, eye disease and kidney damage.”
For further information contact:
Carl Jessop
NHS Yorkshire and the Humber, part of NHS North of England
0113 2952111
About Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic and progressive disease that has an impact on almost every aspect of the sufferer’s life. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people of working age in the UK. Other complications may include ketoacidosis, kidney failure and lower limb amputations in later stages of the disease.
Diabetes can affects infants, children, young people and adults of all ages, and is becoming more common. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Over 90% of people with diabetes have type 2, which is preventable. One of the main risk factors for developing type 2 is obesity.
