Diabetes is a condition that affects approximately 2.3 million people throughout the United Kingdom. In some cases there are many sufferers that are unaware that they actually have diabetes. It is a condition where an individual’s blood sugar level is higher than what it typically should be and can be found in three different types. Type one, type two and pregnancy related diabetes – gestational diabetes. Type one diabetes is often found in younger people and generally means that the individual are dependent upon insulin. Type two diabetes is a non insulin dependent strain and affects generally people who are somewhat overweight and are over the age of 40 years old. Gestational diabetes is generally found whilst a woman is pregnant and any symptoms that are experienced will typically disappear once the individual has given birth. However should you develop gestational diabetes, you are unfortunately at more risk of developing another type of diabetes later on in your life. Diabetes can also be caused by using certain types of medication and even by another condition. Our bodies produce its own insulin within the abdomen by the pancreas gland, along with maintaining levels of glucose in the body. Glucose is known as sugar and blood sugar levels in the body are the same as glucose levels. Some of the symptoms that a person suffering from diabetes may experience are tiredness, increased thirst, and weight loss, an increased amount of needing to urinate and skin infections. Diabetes can be tested in a few ways.

Typically a suspected sufferer would be tested by a random glucose test. These tests are carried out on two separate occasions. Once the results are given if they are found to be over the figure of 11.1mmol/l, then that is a confirmed diagnosis that diabetes is present in that individual. A fasting glucose test is also common. This is done over a period of two different days, where the individual is to fast and then the blood sugar levels are tested. If the patient was to have a reading of 7.0mmol/l or above this is a clear diagnosis of diabetes being present. Diabetes can be treated in various different ways. It all depends upon the type of diabetes that the individual is diagnosed with. Typically the treatments can be found to be changing the individual’s diet and lifestyle to a healthier one or taking medication, insulin or injections. Generally the injections are used on cases where the patient has type one diabetes and in some type two cases. With type two cases there are a few different medications that can be taken, some increase the amount of insulin the pancreas makes, where as others prevent it from doing just that.

Diabetes is a condition that typically a Critical Illness Cover plan would not cover. If you had diabetes or have a family history of this condition you may struggle to find an insurer to offer you a policy. The reasons behind this are because the insurer often finds taking this condition on board is too risky for them. There are some companies however that will offer you a premium, but it will be an increased one, others may offer you terms with an exclusion for this and then there are other providers who will not even accept the application.