Diabetes is a serious medical condition that can impact people in many ways. For some, the stairs may be too difficult to navigate, making it hard or impossible to live comfortably in their own home.
A stairlift could be the perfect solution for those suffering from diabetes and struggling with the stairs. Read on to learn more about diabetes and how a stairlift could help…
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when there is too much sugar in the blood. The body uses sugar for energy, but if there is too much sugar in the blood, it can lead to serious health problems.
Over time, high blood sugar can damage the nerves and blood vessels, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and blindness.
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood, while type 2 diabetes is typically diagnosed in adults. However, both types of diabetes can be controlled with medication, diet, and exercise. With proper treatment, people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives.
What are the symptoms of Diabetes?
• Feeling very thirsty
• Urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night
• Feeling very tired
• Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
• Cuts or wounds that heal slowly
• Blurred vision
What causes Diabetes?
The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach).
When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it’s broken down to produce energy.
However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there’s either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced does not work properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
You can help manage type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, regular exercise and achieving a healthy body weight.
You can find out how to reduce your diabetes risk here and the NHS have a BMI healthy weight calculator to check whether you’re a healthy weight.
Living with Diabetes?
If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll need to eat healthily, take regular exercise and carry out regular blood tests to ensure your blood glucose levels stay balanced.
When diabetes is not well controlled, the level of sugar in your blood goes up. High blood sugar can cause damage to many parts of your body, including your eyes, heart, feet, nerves, and kidneys. Diabetes can also cause high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.
This in turn can make everyday tasks around the home that more challenging such as getting upstairs easily and safely.
As we mentioned earlier one of the more obvious and potentially dangerous symptoms is being unable to judge distances correctly and this is where a Stairlift (or Chair Lift as some people like to call them) can prove to be invaluable.
We’ve been installing high-quality new and reconditioned stair lifts for over 30 years. Our dedicated team of surveyors and expert engineers have a great deal of experience in supporting those suffering with diabetes and other age-related conditions.
If you’d like to discuss how a stairlift could help you or a loved one, please call us today
