Diabetes
People with a learning disability are more likely to have diabetes than the general population.
When you eat, your body breaks down the food and it goes into your blood.
Your body makes a hormone called insulin.
Insulin helps to move sugar (also called glucose) out of your blood.
Your body then breaks down the sugar to make energy.
If you have diabetes, your body cannot do this by itself.
This means you will have too much or too little sugar (glucose) in your blood.
This can make you unwell. It can lead to serious problems with your eyes, heart and nerves.
Diabetes is a life-long illness. It affects your everyday life.
Diabetes needs treatment. If you do not treat diabetes it can badly damage your body.
There are 2 main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.