What is Diabetes? A Guide from Your Local Cornwell's Chemist

Understanding Diabetes: Types, Risks, and Support

Glucose is your body's main source of energy, and it comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone produced by a gland called the pancreas, acts like a key, allowing this glucose to move from your bloodstream into your cells to be used for energy. When you have diabetes, this system doesn't work as it should, leading to high levels of sugar in your blood.

Understanding the two main types of diabetes is the first step to knowing more about the condition.

Type 1 Diabetes

This type is an autoimmune disease. For reasons that are not yet fully understood, your body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This means your body produces very little, or no, insulin at all. Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children and young adults. People with this type of diabetes need to take insulin injections every day.

Type 2 Diabetes

This is the most common form of diabetes, making up over 90% of all cases. With Type 2 diabetes your body’s cells become resistant to insulin; this is known as insulin resistance, and it means your body can't use insulin effectively. As a result, glucose builds up in your bloodstream. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to lifestyle factors, such as poor diet and physical inactivity, as well as family history and age.

Prediabetes and Prevention

Some patients can be prediabetic, which is an interim state whilst moving towards developing Type 2 diabetes fully. Growing evidence shows that prediabetes is reversible, and in some cases so is type 2 diabetes - however, this requires radical lifestyle modification.

Identifying Type 2 diabetes early, or in the prediabetic state, has a tremendous impact on your long term health. Making the necessary lifestyle changes early means the known risks of having diabetes, such as heart disease and stroke, can be reduced substantially before they develop.

How Can Cornwell's Chemists Help?

Understanding and managing diabetes is a lifelong journey. At your local Cornwell's Chemists, our trained pharmacists are here to support you every step of the way. We can offer discreet and confidential advice on a wide range of topics, including:

• Blood testing: Undergo an accurate & robust clinical blood test to understand your risks of developing diabetes from our trained teams.
• Understanding your medication: We can help you with your prescriptions and ensure you know exactly how to take them.
• Blood glucose monitoring: Our team can provide guidance on using blood sugar monitors and interpreting the results.
• Lifestyle advice: We can offer simple, effective tips on diet and exercise that can make a big difference.

For more information on blood testing or to book a blood test, please visit: https://cornwells.co.uk/services/blood-testing

Don’t hesitate to visit one of our 10 branches across Staffordshire. We are a convenient and accessible resource for advice and products to help you manage your health. Our team is here to help you live well with diabetes.