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What is Diabetes? Front Shop Module 4, 2017
Diabetes mellitus or ‘diabetes’ is a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high. All the cells in the body need glucose for energy to work properly and the hormone, insulin, helps glucose get from the blood into the cells. If the pancreas does not make enough insulin, or if the body stops responding to insulin, then glucose levels build up in the blood.
While there are a number of factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, it appears that our modern, urban lifestyles are largely to blame. For example, eating processed foods, highly-refined carbohydrates and sugar-sweetened foods, together with low levels of physical activity and long sedentary periods, increase the risk of being overweight or obese which, in turn, increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be managed. People with diabetes need care from many healthcare professionals, including the pharmacist and the pharmacy members of staff. This Module discusses type 2 diabetes and provides the Front Shop pharmacy staff with the knowledge to help support patients with type 2 diabetes, with particular emphasis on lifestyle recommendations and the appropriate use of over-the-counter medicines in those with type 2 diabetes.
