18/11/2025
Understanding Diabetes
Diabetes is when the level of glucose in your blood is too high.
If it’s not controlled, it can damage the organs in your body. The amount of glucose in your body is controlled by hormones - primarily insulin. With diabetes, your body is unable to produce insulin, or it doesn’t respond properly to the insulin it produces.
Types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes:
This is an auto-immune condition where the body attacks the cells in your pancreas that make insulin, so not enough is produced. Type 1 diabetes usually begins in childhood and can appear suddenly, often after a viral infection. Type 1 diabetes isn’t lifestyle related.
Type 2 diabetes:
When your body can’t use insulin effectively. The insulin-making cells in your pancreas produce insulin, but the insulin isn’t working well. About 90% of people with diabetes have type 2, and it's one of the fastest growing preventable health conditions in New Zealand.
Gestational diabetes:
When a pregnant woman who was not known to have diabetes before pregnancy develops high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. About 4-8% of pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. If left untreated it can lead to problems for both mum and baby. Usually, it goes away after giving birth but may recur in future pregnancies.
Pre-diabetes:
Pre-diabetes is when your blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. People with pre-diabetes can make lifestyle changes to reverse diagnosis.
Common symptoms include:
*Unexplained weight loss
*Frequent urination
*Extreme hunger
*Irritability
*Excessive thirst
*Extreme tiredness
*Blurred vision
*Slow healing cuts and bruises
If you notice any of the above symptoms in you or a family member, it’s important to talk to a GP for testing, diagnosis and treatment.
