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What do I need to know about diabetes?
Diabetes is called a disorder of metabolism. More simply put, diabetes keeps your body from properly utilizing the sugar obtained from food. Your body changes most of the food you eat into a form of sugar called glucose. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, allows glucose to enter the cells of your body to be used as energy. Diabetes is diagnosed when a person can no longer make enough insulin, or use this insulin properly. Diabetes causes glucose to build up in the blood instead of moving into the cells.
There are three main types of diabetes. It's important to know which one you have. The type will determine your treatment.
- Juvenile diabetes, also known as type 1 diabetes mellitus -- This type occurs when the body doesn't make enough insulin.
- Adult-onset diabetes mellitus, also known as type 2 diabetes mellitus - This type of diabetes happens when the body either produces low amounts of insulin and/or is no longer able to use that insulin effectively. Nearly 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes, also known as diabetes of pregnancy - This type of diabetes strikes pregnant women. Gestational diabetes usually resolves when the pregnancy is over. However, once a woman has gestational diabetes, she is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
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Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and does not serve as a replacement for care provided by your own personal health care team. This website does not render or provide medical advice, and no individual should make any medical decisions or change their health behavior based on information provided here. All pertinent content provided on this website should be discussed with your personal physician to evaluate whether it has any relevance to or impact on your specific condition. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.
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