DIABETES Australia (DA) is launching a new campaign "It's About Time" to encourage the community, families, schools and health professionals to recognise the early signs of type 1 diabetes and help avoid many of the hospitalisations.
Up to 640 Australians are hospitalised each year in serious life threatening situations before diagnosis with type 1 diabetes.
"Each year hundreds of Australians including many children end up in hospital emergency rooms in serious, life-threatening situations because the early signs of type 1 diabetes are not recognised," DA ceo Professor Greg Johnson said.
"Failure to recognise the early symptoms of type 1 diabetes such as severe fatigue, thirst, increased visits to the toilet and weight loss can lead to a dangerous condition called diabetes ketoacidosis.
"This can be life threatening. But most of these hospitalisations could be avoided if the early signs were identified and the type 1 diabetes treated before progressing to ketoacidosis."
Johnson said pharmacists should be aware of, and people should look for, the 4T's: Thirst -- are they really thirsty and unable to quench that thirst? Toilet -- are they going to the toilet a lot? Tired -- are they more tired than usual? Thinner -- have they recently lost weight?
These signs are a red flag for a GP referral, Johnson explained.
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