What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that causes a person to have too much glucose (sugar) in their blood. Some people may say they have “high blood sugar”. Diabetes does not “go away”; it cannot be cured, BUT it can be controlled.
Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism. Our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a main source of fuel for our body. After our food is digested and broken down into glucose, the glucose passes into our blood stream. Once the glucose is in the bloodstream, it is used by the cells of the body for growth and energy. For the glucose to get into the cells, a hormone called insulin must be available. Insulin is a hormone that is made I the pancreas. The cells in the part of the pancreas that makes insulin are called beta cells. The beta cells are found in the Islet of Langerhan. The pancreas is a large gland that is located behind the stomach. When we eat, the pancreas will produce the right amount of insulin so that glucose can be moved from the blood stream into the cells. If there is more glucose than the cells need for energy, insulin helps the glucose (sugar) to be stored in the liver and skeletal muscles for later use. For people with diabetes (high blood sugar), the pancreas may not be producing any insulin or too little insulin. An additional problem may be that the cells of the body are not responding to the insulin the way they are supposed to. When the glucose cannot move into the cells, it (the glucose) remains in the bloodstream. This results in a person’s blood sugar being elevated (too high).
Diabetes or high blood sugar can cause a person to: • Be very thirsty • Have to urinate frequently (pass a lot of urine) • Feel hungry • Feel very tired • Lose weight without trying to lose weight • Have a tingling sensation in their hands and/or feet • Have dry itchy skin • Blurred vision • Poorly or slow healing wounds and sores Type 1 Formerly called juvenile diabetes. One 5-10% of people with diabetes are type 1. People of any age can develop type 1 diabetes but generally it develops in children or young adults.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s system for fighting infections (called the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the pancreas’s ability o produce insulin. Type 1 diabetics must take insulin daily to live. Type 2 Formerly called Adult-Onset Diabetes. 90-95% of all people with diabetes have type @. Type 2 is associated with: • Older people (age 45 and older) • Obesity (being over-weight) • Family history of diabetes • History of gestational diabetes • Being African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American or Pacific Islander Recently, type 2 diabetes, the pancreas may not produce enough insulin or the insulin being produced is not being used effectively by the body. People with type 2 diabetes may be managed with diet and physical activity (exercise) alone. Some people may need a pill to help control their blood sugar along with diet and physical activity.
Lastly, some people may require insulin with their diet and physical activity. Gestational diabetes A form of diabetes that some women develop during pregnancy. Approximately 3-8% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. This form of diabetes generally disappears after the birth of the baby, but these women have a 20-50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes in 5-10 years. Having diabetes can raise a person’s chance of having: • Kidney disease • Heart and blood vessel disease • Eye disease • Nerve damage Good blood sugar control may reduce the risk of having these problems. Your plan for controlling your diabetes: Includes a Health Care Team. Your team includes your primary care practitioner and yourself. Other members of your team may include: • Dietician (help with meal planning) • Diabetic educator (education guidance) • Podiatrist (doctor that cares for the feet) |
