What is Diabetes?
People with diabetes have difficulty making and using a hormone made in the pancreas called insulin. Insulin helps your cells absorb and break down sugar from the bloodstream which creates energy for your muscles and organs. Sugar that isn’t absorbed from your blood can actually harm the body. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, the main source of fuel for your body is a type of sugar called glucose.
Cells are designed to work with just the right amount of energy and nutrients. If your glucose levels aren’t what your body needs them to be (too high or too low), your cells and organs won’t be able to work as well as they should.
For some people with diabetes, their bodies do not make enough insulin, and their cells don’t absorb enough glucose from the bloodstream.
For most people with diabetes, their bodies struggle with too much sugar because they are eating too much or they aren’t getting enough exercise. This causes the pancreas to work harder to make too much insulin and that insulin doesn’t work as well as it used to. Then, the cells in the body don’t absorb the glucose from the bloodstream. (Source: American Diabetes Association and National Diabetes Information Clearing House)
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects approximately 20.8 million Americans. One-third of these people are not even aware they have the condition.
If diabetes goes untreated, it can cause major health problems and can increase a person’s risk for other serious conditions like heart attacks, blindness, kidney disease, and stroke.
That’s why it is very important for people to get screened for diabetes and, if they have it, to manage diabetes properly.
People with diabetes must test their blood frequently to make sure they have a normal amount of glucose in their bodies. If they have too much or too little glucose, they may need to consult with their doctor to find out what they should do or what medicines they should take to the right level.
Learn about the different types of diabetes >>
Cells are designed to work with just the right amount of energy and nutrients. If your glucose levels aren’t what your body needs them to be (too high or too low), your cells and organs won’t be able to work as well as they should.
For some people with diabetes, their bodies do not make enough insulin, and their cells don’t absorb enough glucose from the bloodstream.
For most people with diabetes, their bodies struggle with too much sugar because they are eating too much or they aren’t getting enough exercise. This causes the pancreas to work harder to make too much insulin and that insulin doesn’t work as well as it used to. Then, the cells in the body don’t absorb the glucose from the bloodstream. (Source: American Diabetes Association and National Diabetes Information Clearing House)
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects approximately 20.8 million Americans. One-third of these people are not even aware they have the condition.
If diabetes goes untreated, it can cause major health problems and can increase a person’s risk for other serious conditions like heart attacks, blindness, kidney disease, and stroke.
That’s why it is very important for people to get screened for diabetes and, if they have it, to manage diabetes properly.
People with diabetes must test their blood frequently to make sure they have a normal amount of glucose in their bodies. If they have too much or too little glucose, they may need to consult with their doctor to find out what they should do or what medicines they should take to the right level.
Learn about the different types of diabetes >>