Sept. 19, 2019 | Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough, or any, insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems. More than 30 million adults in America have diabetes, with 1.5 million new cases diagnosed every year. Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy. Sometimes people call diabetes “a touch of sugar” or “borderline diabetes.” These terms suggest that someone doesn’t really have diabetes or has a less serious case, but every case of diabetes is serious.

Sept. 19, 2019 | Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, which refers to the way the body uses food for energy. Most of the food that people eat is broken down into glucose, a form of sugar that is in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach. When people eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into the cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body during urination. Through this process, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.

Sept. 19, 2019 | The three main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States. It develops most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age. Its symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. The more common form of diabetes, type 2, is most often associated with older age, obesity, a family history of diabetes, and certain ethnicities. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but for unknown reasons the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The result is the same as for type 1 diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood and it can’t make efficient use of its main source of fuel.

Sept. 19, 2019 | Once it has been determined what kind of diabetes you have, there are certain steps you can take to keep it under control. Eating right, exercising and monitoring your blood sugar level are the most important practices a diabetic can follow to keep their blood sugar within its normal range. Patients with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin so they must make certain adjustments to their diet and take insulin, which can only be given through injections given several times a day. Patients with type 2 can often control their disorder with an improved diet and an increased level of exercise. Exercise helps with weight loss and can help you maintain a healthy heart, relieve stress and strengthen muscles. Oral medications may be prescribed in some cases and some patients may be required to take insulin. The success of treatment depends largely on the patient. By learning and practicing how to control your sugar level, you will be able to enjoy a healthier life.

Sept. 19, 2019 | If you are diabetic, testing your blood glucose level on your own can help you learn how being active, taking medicine and eating can make your glucose level go up or down. It can also help you feel more in control of your life in general. A blood glucose meter uses a small drop of blood to tell you how much glucose is in your blood at that moment. Continuous glucose monitoring, or CGM, is another way to check your glucose levels. Most CGM systems use a tiny sensor that you insert under your skin. The sensor measures glucose levels in the fluids between your body’s cells every few minutes and can show changes in your glucose level throughout the day and night. If the CGM system shows that your glucose is too high or too low, you should check your glucose with a blood glucose meter before making any changes to your eating plan or medicines. A CGM system is especially useful for people who use insulin and have problems with low blood glucose.