What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which your body is unable to properly use the sugars and starches (carbohydrates) that you eat. When food is digested, much of it is turned into glucose, a form of sugar that the body uses for fuel. The pancreas, a gland near the stomach, produces a hormone called insulin, which helps the glucose enter the cells to produce energy. When you have diabetes, your body does not make enough insulin or the insulin produced does not function properly. As a result, glucose cannot get into the cells and begins to build up in the bloodstream leading to a condition known as hyperglycemia or high blood sugar.

People with type 1 diabetes make very little or no insulin. This type of diabetes usually starts in childhood or adolescence but may occur at any age. Type 1 diabetes can be managed by daily insulin injections, a diabetes meal plan and regular exercise.

People with type 2 diabetes make some insulin but not enough, or the cells fail to respond to the insulin produced. Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes. This type of diabetes can be controlled by lifestyle changes and diabetes medications. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can improve your body’s ability to use insulin.

This type of diabetes appears during pregnancy and usually disappears following delivery. However, women with gestational diabetes may develop type 2 diabetes later on in life. Gestational diabetes can be controlled by lifestyle changes and diabetes medications.