Diabetes: you can still be healthy

YOUNGSTERS in Warrington with diabetes are being told that if they manage the condition they can still be “healthy, fit and strong.”
That’s the message from health chiefs as national Diabetes Awareness Week is marked.
More than 150 children in Warrington and Halton are living with the condition but experts say keeping fit and active helps them live with the condition.
Diabetes is a common life-long condition where the amount of glucose in the blood is too high and the body is unable to use it properly. Type one is when the pancreas stops making insulin, and is managed by daily insulin injections, eating healthily and exercising.
Type two diabetes develops when the pancreas makes too little insulin for the body to work properly, and is more likely to affect adults. Diabetes cannot be cured but can be managed effectively to avoid long term complications.
Warning signs for the condition include frequent urination, weight loss, lack of energy and excessive thirst. Any concerns should be discussed with a GP.
Wendy Schmitt, paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist at Warrington, said: “It can be difficult for a child and their family to accept they have diabetes and it is normal to feel upset and worried about the diagnosis at first. But by learning about how to manage the condition properly means that very soon diabetes becomes part of everyday family life.”