What are some of the symptoms of diabetes?
Many people don’t realise they have diabetes because it tends to develop slowly. Some people are only diagnosed after they have a stroke. Here are some of the signs:
- Being very thirsty.
- Needing to pee more than usual.
- Feeling very tired.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Often having thrush.
- Cuts or wounds that heal slowly.
- Blurred vision.
How to reduce risk of stroke
According to Stroke.org.uk, you the risk of stroke can be dramatically reduced by:
Eating a healthy diet
Having a healthy diet is a big part of blood sugar control and it also reduces your risk of stroke. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit, and have homemade food if you can, as it usually has less fat and salt than ready meals and snacks. Cutting salt can help with controlling blood pressure, and eating less fat can help with weight loss. You should get advice from a dietitian or through a diabetes education programme. Ask your GP for advice.
Moving around more
Being active can lower your blood sugars, so try to move as much as you can. Try walking for half an hour a day. If you can, try to keep moving at home too. Just walking around the room every 20 minutes can lower your stroke risk.
If you are taking insulin or have extremely high blood pressure, it’s important that you speak to your GP before starting to be more active
Managing your weight
Staying a healthy weight cuts your risk of a stroke. It also lowers your blood sugar levels, so if you need to lose weight ask your GP pharmacist about help available locally.
Stop smoking
Smoking raises your chance of having a stroke, so it’s well worth getting advice on giving up.
Drinking less alcohol
Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your risk of a stroke, and the calories in alcohol can also make it harder to lose weight.
Talk to other people
You may find that speaking to other people with diabetes is a good way of getting help and support. Diabetes UK runs local groups and care events that give you the chance to meet with other people and find out how they are coping with a similar situation.