Diabetes

What is Diabetes? What is diabetes? Diabetes is a condition that happens when your blood sugar (glucose) is too high. It develops when your Glucose (sugar) mainly comes from When glucose is in your bloodstream, it needs help — a “key” — to reach its final destination. This key is insulin (a Over time, having consistently high blood glucose can cause health problems, such as The technical name for diabetes is diabetes mellitus. Another condition shares the term “diabetes” — What are the types of diabetes? There are several types of diabetes. The most common forms include: • Type 2 diabetes: With this type, your body doesn’t make enough insulin and/or your body’s cells don’t respond normally to the insulin ( • Prediabetes: This type is the stage before Type 2 diabetes. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be officially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. • Type 1 diabetes: This type is an • Gestational diabetes: This type develops in some people during Other types of diabetes include: • Type 3c diabetes: This form of diabetes happens when your pancreas experiences damage (other than autoimmune damage), which affects its ability to produce insulin. • Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA): Like Type 1 diabetes, LADA also results from an autoimmune reaction, but it develops much more slowly than Type 1. People diagnosed with LADA are usually over the age of 30. • Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY): MODY, also called monogenic diabet...

No matter where you are in your fight, here’s where you need to be. Whether you’ve been newly diagnosed, have been fighting against type 1 or type 2 diabetes for a while, or are helping a loved one, you’ve come to the right place. This is the start of gaining a deeper understanding of how you can live a healthier life—with all the tools, health tips, and food ideas you need. Wherever you’re at with your diabetes, know that you have options and that you don’t have to be held back. You can still live your best life. All you have to do is take action and stick with it. New to diabetes? Understanding Type 1 Here’s what you need to know about type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs at every age and in people of every race, shape, and size. There is no shame in having it, and you have a community of people ready to support you. Learning as much as you can about it and working closely with your diabetes care team can give you everything you need to thrive. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood glucose (blood sugar) that it uses for energy—and insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, everyone can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy lives. Remember: this is a condition that can be managed. By living a healthy lifestyle filled with exercise and proper diet, you can live a n...

Overview Type 2 diabetes is a condition that happens because of a problem in the way the body regulates and uses sugar as a fuel. That sugar also is called glucose. This long-term condition results in too much sugar circulating in the blood. Eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous and immune systems. In type 2 diabetes, there are primarily two problems. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells. And cells respond poorly to insulin and take in less sugar. Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, but both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can begin during childhood and adulthood. Type 2 is more common in older adults. But the increase in the number of children with obesity has led to more cases of type 2 diabetes in younger people. There's no cure for type 2 diabetes. Losing weight, eating well and exercising can help manage the disease. If diet and exercise aren't enough to control blood sugar, diabetes medications or insulin therapy may be recommended. Symptoms Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly. In fact, you can be living with type 2 diabetes for years and not know it. When symptoms are present, they may include: • Increased thirst. • Frequent urination. • Increased hunger. • Unintended weight loss. • Fatigue. • Blurred vision. • Slow-healing sores. • Frequent infections. • Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet. • Areas of darkened s...

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. Your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it makes. The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into your cells to be stored or used for energy. If this malfunctions, you may have diabetes. Untreated high blood sugar from diabetes can damage your nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs. But educating yourself about diabetes and taking steps to prevent or manage it can help you protect your health. Diabetes symptoms are caused by rising blood sugar. General symptoms The symptoms of type 1, type 2, and type 1.5 (LADA) are the same, but they occur in a shorter period than types 2 and 1.5. In type 2, the onset tends to be slower. Tingling nerves and slow-healing sores are more common in type 2. Left untreated, type 1, in particular, can lead to The general symptoms of diabetes include: • increased hunger • increased thirst • weight loss • • • • Symptoms in men In addition to the general symptoms of diabetes, • a • • poor muscle strength Symptoms in women • vaginal dryness • • • dry, itchy skin Gestational diabetes Most people who develop gestational diabetes don’t have any symptoms. Healthcare professionals often detect the condition during a routine blood sugar test or oral glucose tolerance test, which is usually performed between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. In rare cases, a person with gestational diabetes will also experience increased thirst or urina...

But if you notice the following signs and symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor: • Increased thirst and urination • Fatigue • Blurred vision • Unexpected weight loss • Increased hunger • Slow-healing sores and frequent infections • Red, swollen gums • Tingling or numbness in your hands or feet Understanding possible diabetes symptoms can lead to early diagnosis and treatment, which can help you prevent the complications of diabetes and lead to a lifetime of better health. Here are more details about the signs and symptoms of diabetes: Excessive thirst and increased urination are common diabetes signs and symptoms. When you have diabetes, excess glucose — a type of sugar — builds up in your blood. Your kidneys are forced to work overtime to filter and absorb the excess glucose. When your kidneys can't keep up, the excess glucose is excreted into your urine, dragging along fluids from your tissues, which makes you dehydrated. This will usually leave you feeling thirsty. As you drink more fluids to quench your thirst, you'll urinate even more. Diabetes symptoms sometimes involve your vision. High levels of blood glucose pull fluid from your tissues, including the lenses of your eyes. This affects your ability to focus. Left untreated, diabetes can cause new blood vessels to form in your retina — the back part of your eye — and damage established vessels. For most people, these early changes don't cause vision problems. However, if these changes progress undetected,...