Dr Waqas Tahir talks to us about diabetes
In this animation Dr Waqas Tahir talks to us about diabetes. Find out who is most at risk, how to recognise the signs and what you can do to prevent type 2 diabetes. Some people are more at risk than others so it’s worth watching to see if you might be affected.
You are more at risk if;
- you are over 25 and have a South Asian or Black background
- you are over 40
- you are carrying extra weight, especially if this weight is round the middle
- you have a family history of type 2 diabetes
Your ethnicity, body shape and family history can all affect your likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes so it’s important to make sure you know the signs.
There are well known signs such as feeling very thirsty and drinking more than usual, or needing to visit the toilet to urinate more often, but there are less well known signs that you should also be aware of. If you cut yourself and the wound takes longer than usual to heal, or if you feel constantly tired or your vision becomes blurred, these can all be signs of Type 2 diabetes. If you or a member of your family is experiencing these signs it is really important that you get checked out by your GP as a simple blood test will show if you are at risk.
Type 2 diabetes is serious and can kill. If left untreated it can lead to heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, nerve pain and stroke.
There are lots of things you can do to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, diet and exercise are very important but you don’t need to change your whole life.
Find out if you are at risk of Type 2 diabetes with this free online tool
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Click here for Arabic animation
Dr Waqas Tahir is the Clinical Diabetes Lead for the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership and also Bradford District and Craven System Programme
