Diabetes is a disease that means your blood glucose (often called blood sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because your body needs glucose for energy. But too much glucose in the blood isn’t good for your health.

How do you get High Blood Glucose?

Glucose comes from the food you eat and is also made in your liver and muscles. Your blood carries the glucose to all the cells in your body.

Insulin is a chemical (a hormone) made by the pancreas. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into your cells.

If your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or if the insulin doesn’t work the way it should, glucose can’t get into your cells. It stays in your blood instead. Your blood glucose level then gets too high, causing pre-diabetes or diabetes.

What is Pre-Diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke.

Three Types of Diabetes

People can get diabetes at any age. There are three main kinds: Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes:

1. Type 1 diabetes is the type of diabetes where the body does not make insulin because the body’s immune system has attacked and destroyed the cells that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. People with type 1 need to take insulin every day.

2. Type 2 diabetes is the type of diabetes where the body does not make or use insulin well. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, and can develop at any age—even during childhood. People with type 2 often need to take pills or insulin.

3. Gestational (jes-TAY-shon-al) diabetes develops during pregnancy in some women. It is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or by not having enough insulin. It increases the pregnant woman’s chance of getting type 2 diabetes later in life. It also makes her child more at risk of being overweight or getting diabetes.

What are the Risk Factors for Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes?

The risk factors for diabetes or pre-diabetes include:

• Being over age 40
• Having a parent, brother or sister with diabetes (Family History)
• Being overweight or obese
• Getting little or no exercise (physical activity)
• Having blood pressure 140/90 mmHg or higher, or have been told you have high blood pressure
• Cholesterol not normal: Low HDL cholesterol or High triglycerides
• Gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4100 grams) at birth
  
  
  

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What are the Signs of Diabetes?

The signs of diabetes are:

• Being very thirsty
• Going to the bathroom (urinating) often
• Feeling very hungry or tired
• Losing weight without trying
• Having sores that heal slowly
• Having dry, itchy skin
• Losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
• Having blurry eyesight
  
  

You may have one or more of these signs before you find out you have diabetes. Or you may have no signs at all. A blood test to check your glucose levels will show if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes.

How can I Prevent Diabetes?

You can do healthy things to help prevent diabetes such as:

• Lose weight
• Exercise more
• Eat healthier foods
• Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol
• Manage stress
• Stop smoking
  
  
  

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If You Have Diabetes…

People with diabetes should do some things every day to lower high blood glucose:

• Follow your meal plan
• Exercise (be physically active)
• Take your diabetes medicine
• Check your blood glucose (sugar)
  
  

To prevent other health problems due to diabetes, like cuts that do not heal, high blood pressure, or blindness, you should also:

• Check your feet for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling.
• Check your blood pressure
• Report any changes in your eyesight to your doctor
  
  

People with diabetes should try to keep their blood glucose level as close as possible to the level of someone who doesn’t have diabetes. The closer to normal your blood glucose is, the lower your chances are of developing serious health problems like heart disease or blindness.

Taking care of your diabetes every day will help keep your blood glucose in your target range and help prevent other health problems that diabetes can cause over the years.

Information from:

Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2006. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/index.htm

American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Risk Test. http://www.diabetes.org/risk-test.jsp