Understanding Diabetes Presentation Speaker Notes Diabetes UK does not accept any responsibility for the content of a presentation …
Understanding Diabetes Presentation - Speaker Notes
Toolkit for Organising a Diabetes Awareness Day
PLEASE NOTE: a healthcare professional who is suitably qualified in
diabetes should deliver this presentation Diabetes UK does not accept
any responsibility for the content of a presentation made using this
package slides and speaker notes The presentation package is only
meant as a guide for healthcare professionals and appropriate
alternative presentations could be made
The presentation is provided as a tool for increasing awareness about
diabetes and not as a substitute for a structured education programme
for people with diabetes
Slide 1 - Diabetes UK
This presentation has been produced by Diabetes Care Advisors at
Diabetes UK Diabetes UK is the organisation for people with diabetes
It stands up for the interests of people with diabetes by campaigning
for better standards of care and funding research to improve the
treatment of diabetes and to find a cure It also provides practical
information to help people manage diabetes
better
The presentation can be interactive You will find suggestions of
activities of how to explain diabetes in the presentation
Slide 2 - Understanding diabetes
Explain what the agenda will be for the presentation
Distribute the fact sheet What is diabetes? produced by Diabetes UK
as supporting information The fact sheet is available in 8 different
languages
Slide 3 - What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose sugar in the
blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly
There are over 18 million people with diabetes in the UK and it is
thought that another million people have it but dont know it yet
It is a serious condition that if is not treated and managed properly
can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and nerve
damage that could lead to amputations
Slide 4 - Risk Factors
Diabetes UK produce a leaflet about risk factors for developing diabetes
Are you at risk? in 8 different languages
Diabetes and age
The vast majority of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes This
type usually occurs in people over the age of 40 The older you
are,
the greater your risk of Type 2 diabetes If you come from a black or
minority ethnic group, you are at increased risk over the age of 25 but
more and more people are getting Type 2 diabetes in childhood too
Diabetes runs in families
Research has shown that people are more at risk if there is a history
of diabetes in close family members The closer the relative, the
greater your risk of diabetes
People from African-Caribbean or Asian cultures living in this country
are four to five times more likely to have diabetes than white members
of the population
Weight is a factor in diabetes
Over 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight The
more overweight you are, the greater your risk of diabetes
Circulation problems and high blood pressure
If you have been diagnosed with any of these problems with your
circulation, have had a heart attack or stroke, or you have high blood
pressure, you may be at increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and you
should discuss your risk with your healthcare team
Diabetes and pregnancy
Some women when they are pregnant develop a temporary type of diabetes
called gestational diabetes Having this, or giving birth to a large
baby 4kg/81/2lb or greater, can increase a womans risk of going on
to develop Type 2 diabetes
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCOS
This is a hormonal problem that can affect about one in five women
Symptoms can include irregular or no periods, obesity and often,
increased body and facial hair People with diagnosed PCOS who are also
obese have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
Impaired blood glucose levels
If your doctor has previously told you that you have impaired fasting
glycaemia IFG or impaired glucose tolerance IGT, this means that
your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but that you dont
have diabetes However, you should be tested regularly to make sure
that you have not developed diabetes If you have IFG or IGT, losing
weight, eating a healthy diet and keeping active can help prevent Type
2 diabetes
Slide 5 - People without diabetes
Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods like bread, rice,
potatoes, chapattis, yams and plantain, from sugar and other sweet
foods and from the liver, which makes
glucose
This glucose is then absorbed into the bloodstream
The increase in blood glucose levels causes the pancreas to produce a
vital hormone called insulin
Insulin sends messages to the cells to open the cell doors so that
glucose can enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body
Suggested Activity 1: Arrange half of the group in a circle asking
them to link arms This circle now represents the cells and the rest of
the room the blood Of the remaining half of the group label some as
insulin and the rest as glucose Working in pairs of insulin and
glucose demonstrate that insulin can open the linked arms and allow the
glucose to enter
Suggested Activity 2: Take the group into the corridor and lock the
room door behind you Explain that the corridor is the blood stream and
that each of the participants are glucose Demonstrate that by having a
key insulin and opening the door the glucose can move from the blood
stream and enter the cell the room where it can be used for energy
Slide 6 - People with Type 1 diabetes
Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods like bread, rice,
potatoes, chapattis, yams and plantain, from sugar and other sweet
foods and from the liver, which makes glucose
This glucose is then absorbed into the bloodstream
But for people with Type 1 diabetes their body has destroyed the cells
in the pancreas that produce the insulin So the body is unable to
produce any insulin
Without insulin the glucose in the blood is unable to enter the cells
where it is used as fuel by the body
This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40 10 - 15
of people with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes Type1 diabetes is
treated by insulin injections and a healthy diet and regular exercise
is recommended
Suggested Activity 1: Arrange half of the group in a circle asking
them to link arms This circle now represents the cells and the rest of
the room the blood Label the rest of the group as glucose and
demonstrate that because insulin is not their the linked arms cannot be
opened and the glucose cant enter the cells
Suggested Activity 2: Take the group into the corridor and lock the
room door behind you Explain that the corridor is the blood
stream and
that each of the participants are glucose Demonstrate that by not having
a key insulin in your hand you are unable to open the door and the
glucose cannot move from the blood stream and enter the cell the room
Slide 7 - People with Type 2 diabetes
Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods like bread, rice,
potatoes, chapattis, yams and plantain, from sugar and other sweet
foods and from the liver, which makes glucose
This glucose is then absorbed into the bloodstream
But in Type 2 diabetes the body may not be producing enough of the
hormone insulin
Without enough insulin there arent sufficient messages to the cells to
open the glucose doors So less glucose can enter the cells where it
is used as fuel by the body and the blood glucose level goes up
Slide 8 - People with Type 2 diabetes
For other people with Type 2 diabetes they may be producing enough
insulin but extra fat in the body stops insulins ability to send
messages to the cells to open the glucose doors So again, less
glucose can enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body and
the blood
glucose level goes up
Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, though
often appears before the age of 40 in South Asian and African-Caribbean
people 85 - 90 of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes It is
treated by a healthy diet and physical activity alone or by a healthy
diet, tablets and physical activity or by a healthy diet, insulin
injections and physical activity
For some people with Type 2 diabetes it is possible that there is a
problem with both production and distribution of the insulin
Suggested Activity 1: Arrange half of the group in a circle asking
them to link arms This circle now represents the cells and the rest of
the room the blood Label some of the rest of the group as glucose, one
of the group insulin, and several of the group as body fat The people
labelled body fat stop the insulin from opening the links for glucose
to enter
Suggested Activity 2: Take the group into the corridor and lock the
room door behind you Explain that the corridor is the blood stream and
that each of the participants are glucose Place some blue tak, sellotape
or plasticine
over the key hole - this represents body fat Demonstrate
that by having excess body fat its not possible for the insulin key to
unlock the door for glucose to move from the blood stream and enter the
cell the room
Slide 9 - Signs and symptoms
Going to the toilet more often
Your body tries to get rid of the glucose in the blood by making you
want to urinate more often This particularly tends to be more
noticeable at night
Extreme thirst
If you are losing more fluid by going to the loo more often then you
will become more thirsty
Extreme tiredness
If the glucose cannot enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the
body then energy levels will go down
Weight loss
With extremely high blood glucose levels the body may start breaking
down its own stores of energy which results in weight loss
Genital itching and thrush
When there is sugar in the urine it can cause bacteria to grow which
can cause thrush
Blurred vision
Excess sugar in the blood can build up on the back of the eye, which
then makes your vision blurred
It is recommended that everyone who believes
themselves to be at risk
of developing diabetes or are experiencing the symptoms of diabetes
should visit their GP or pharmacy to be tested for diabetes
If you are diagnosed with diabetes and your blood sugar levels are
brought under control a lot of these signs and symptoms are likely to
improve
As a healthcare professional we hope that this resource has been useful
to you We are continually reviewing and updating our resources and
welcome any comments you may have To pass on your comments please
contact the Diabetes Care Advisors at Diabetes UK on 020 7424 1000
Source:spc.int
