THERE around 10,500 people with diabetes in Bolton, and the vast majority of these are young people. Gayle McBain reports how Coronation Street has helped raise awareness of the illness

A SHOCK soap storyline has brought home the heartache that can be caused by discovering your child has a chronic illness.

Once again Coronation Street has hit home with a tale that will strike a chord with many families.

This week, characters Tommy and Angela Nelson were left reeling from the news that teenage daughter Katy had diabetes.

For some time viewers have seen Katy, played by Lucy-Jo Hudson, complain of headaches and tiredness and witnessed her suffering a raging thirst.

Then she collapsed in The Rovers following a night of drinking excessive amounts of fruit juice.

She was rushed to hospital where her worried parents, fearing her drinks had been spiked with alcohol, were told she had diabetes.

Katy is suffering from type 1 diabetes, which requires regular insulin injections and she collapsed because she had consumed too much sugar and had gone in to a diabetic coma.

Lucy-Jo said she had researched the disease for the storyline. She spoke to people she knew who had diabetes and got information from local hospitals.

Bolton diabetes consultant, Dr John Dean, revealed there are around 10,500 people with the disease in Bolton and 80 of those are children or adolescents.

He said it was not uncommon for diabetes to be diagnosed in teenagers.

"Although diabetes is mostly confined to older people it has increased in younger people over the last few years."

Suddenly discovering you have a disease like diabetes can be a bombshell and a very frightening experience but there is help and advice available.

Diabetes UK is a national body dedicated to helping people with the disease and Dr Dean recommended it to anyone looking for advice.

The organisation's Head of Care Developments, Simon O'Neill, praised the Coronation Street storyline and said: "It is great that Coronation Street is including a character with diabetes. There are about 1.4 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes and covering the subject in such a popular programme will help to raise awareness of the condition. We're looking forward to seeing how the storyline develops."

WHAT IS DIABETES?

DIABETES mellitus is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. Insulin is vital for life. It is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the glucose enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body.

Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin. This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40. It is treated by insulin injections and diet and regular exercise is recommended.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin produced does not work properly. This type of diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40. It is treated by diet and exercise alone or by diet, exercise and tablets, or by diet, exercise and insulin injections.

THE SYMPTOMS

Increased thirst

Going to the toilet all the time, especially at night

Extreme tiredness

Weight loss

Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush

Blurred vision

ADVICE

DIABETES UK has a website address, www.diabetes.org.uk or the organisation can be contacted by telephone on 020 7424 1000. The North-west branch is available on 01925 653281.

THE MYTHS

You cannot get diabetes by eating sweets or the wrong kind of food.

Stress does not cause diabetes although it may make symptoms worse in people who already have the condition.

You cannot catch diabetes from someone, and you cannot give it to anyone.