HEALTH MATTERS
●» WITH Dr Paul Bowen, a GP with McIlvride Medical Practice, Poynton, and executive chair of NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). ALMOST one in 20 people in eastern Cheshire are living with diabetes and the number is growing all the time.
Improving diabetes care is one of NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG’s key priorities, which we are working to tackle through a number of means – not least our upcoming StopandGo event.
The conference, which the CCG is co-hosting, will bring together clinicians, residents and technology providers to discuss how we can build innovative technology into diabetes care and help people to live well.
StopandGo is free and will take place on June 12 at The Alderley Park Conference Centre, Alderley Park, Macclesfield. Sign up at eventbrite. co.uk/e/16749351762.
Understanding diabetes, its causes, and how best to manage it, is key to avoiding the long term health risks which include stroke, heart attack, blindness and amputations.
Empowering people with the knowledge and technology, as well the most appropriate medications and lifestyles, will help fight a condition that costs the NHS £10 billion a year.
Effective selfmanagement of diabetes is vital, as there were more than 500 emergency hospital admissions caused by diabetes in eastern Cheshire in 2014-15, costing close to £900,000.
What’s more, there are 4,515 people registered as having diabetes in the Macclesfield, Poynton, Bollington and Disley areas, and an equal number are likely to develop the condition in the next few years.
This figure may sound alarming, yet diabetes can be managed very effectively once diagnosed and the risk of developing it can be cut drastically by losing weight, increasing exercise and reducing sugar and carbohydrate intake.
Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common type, and is related to a sedentary lifestyle and obesity.
Symptoms are rare, so it’s worthwhile checking your blood sugar at health screening checks, which are offered to all over 40-year-olds at surgeries and many pharmacies.
Visit nhs.uk/Livewell/ Diabetes for more information.
Type 1 diabetes is more common in younger people and can develop quickly over weeks or even days.
The main symptoms of Type 1 diabetes, and occasionally in poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes, are: ●» Feeling very thirsty ●» Urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night ●» Feeling very tired ●» Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk ●» Recurrent infections, especially skin, urine and thrush infections. ●» Blurred vision (caused by the lens of the eye becoming dry).
If you have more than one of these symptoms and suspect you may have diabetes, see your GP.
For more information about the condition, visit nhs.uk/Conditions/ Diabetes.