Today is World Diabetes Day. It’s an annual event held on the 14th of November that aims to spread the word about the importance of tackling diabetes and recognising it as a critical global health issue.
Why the 14th November? Well, it’s a significant date: the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting who, in 1922, co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. It has since grown to become a globally celebrated event and an official United Nations (UN) awareness day. It is now the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign.
November 2019 marks the second year of a two-year theme dedicated to “The Family and Diabetes”. Research conducted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) revealed that many parents would struggle to spot the warning signs of diabetes in their own children.
According the NHS1 you, or a family member, should see your GP as soon as possible if you experience the main symptoms of diabetes which can include:
- feeling very thirsty
- peeing more frequently than usual, particularly at night
- feeling very tired
- weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
- itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
- cuts or wounds that heal slowly
- blurred vision