4.3 million Britons are living with this condition
A record number of people in the UK live with diabetes. So knowing your risk and a bit more about it is so important.
What’s the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
If you have either type, it means you have too much glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood. The main difference between the two types is how this happens.
In type 1 diabetes, your body gets a little rebellious and doesn't make a crucial thing called insulin. We need insulin to help our bodies use the food we eat for energy. So, people with Type 1 diabetes need to get that insulin from somewhere else, like an insulin shot, to ensure their body can use food correctly.
Now, type 2 diabetes is a slightly different ball game. Here, your body either decides to slack off and doesn't produce enough insulin, or the insulin it does produce isn't up to the task. It's like having a team member who isn't pulling their weight. This is what’s called insulin resistance.
Know your risks
Type 1 diabetes doesn't care if you're a health nut or a couch potato. It's like a hurricane - it can hit anyone. That said, people under 40 are more likely to get hit, and most children diagnosed with diabetes end up with type 1.
On the other hand, type 2 diabetes plays by different rules. It's much more linked to how you're living your life. Eating healthy and staying active can help you dodge this bullet. But you must watch out for other risk factors, like family history, ethnicity, age, and weight.
Decoding the symptoms - your red flag checklist
Wondering how to spot if diabetes is trying to sneak up on you? Well, there's a bunch of red flags that you should be keeping an eye out for, whether it's type 1 or type 2 diabetes:
- Weeing more than usual, especially at night
- Being thirstier than normal
- Losing weight without even trying to
- Not seeing as clearly as you usually do
- Feeling tired all the time
- Noticing that cuts and wounds are healing slowly
- Dealing with genital itching or thrush
Type 1 symptoms usually hit you all at once, like a ton of bricks. On the other hand, type 2 creeps up on you slowly. You might not even spot it for up to a decade!
Coping with your diagnosis
Being told you have diabetes can feel like the rug's been pulled out from under you, especially if you're in the dark about what it means, or if you don't know anyone else dealing with it.
It’s important to remember that you're not alone! It's a curveball but being open about how you’re feeling with your loved ones about your diagnosis could help you navigate. So if you know someone who's just been diagnosed, being there for them is one of the best things you can do.
How critical illness cover could change everything
Dionne had forgotten entirely that her (now) 9-year-old daughter, Sky, was covered under her critical illness policy. Dionne recalls the moment she found out there was a chance she could claim. “It was just a random comment I threw out there about Sky being ill, and the lady on the line reminded me that my policy covered my children too.”
After a quick turnaround, Dionne found herself with a lump sum of money. She decided she would split it into three, “A third of it has gone towards savings for the children’s future, and a third of it has gone onto the mortgage - it’s genuinely helping, especially with the cost of living at the moment. The rest has gone towards helping us adjust to this new life.”
“The last year has been so tough on everyone, so I have booked a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Lapland for all of us, something I never dreamed I’d be able to do. Having this money has enabled me to do this and to give the girls a much-needed and well-deserved treat after such a difficult time. I will tell them a day before; it’s a total surprise for them!”
Summing up the importance of critical illness cover in one sentence, Dionne said, “Money is always something everyone worries about, but with the pay-out, it has been one less thing to worry about throughout all this”.
The power of Smart Health
So many of the UK’s top life insurance providers now include free additional benefits*. Lucky for Dionne, she had Smart Health included as part of her AIG life insurance policy, and was able to use the 24/7 GP appointments to get the help she needed for Sky, and fast.
All Dionne needed to do was book an online GP appointment through the AIG Smart Health app and boom, she's chatting with a UK-based GP. Sadly, her worst fears were confirmed: Sky likely has type 1 diabetes. But by getting a pre-diagnosis from one of the UK-based GPs, Dionne managed to avoid a two-week wait for a GP appointment, getting Sky the help she needed, as fast as possible.
Children’s critical illness cover - Dionne's unexpected hero
Dionne never expected to use her critical illness policy so soon after taking it out, and she definitely didn’t expect to claim it for her 9-year-old daughter. But this goes to show that illness doesn’t discriminate and can happen anytime.
After discovering that her policy included Sky, Dionne received a sum of money that she divided among savings for her kids' future, mortgage payments, and adjusting to their new life with diabetes.
And the icing on the cake? Dionne even had enough money left over from her policy to treat her family to a dream trip to Lapland!
*Free additional benefits are not contractual and may be removed at any time.