According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. More than 34 million Americans have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them have not been diagnosed.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body is able to turn food into energy. The food you eat is broken down into sugar (glucose) and released into your bloodstream. As your blood sugar goes up, your pancreas releases insulin. This allows the blood sugar to enter your body’s cells for use as energy. A person with diabetes doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t properly use insulin. There are two main types of diabetes:
· Type 1 diabetes occurs when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed in children, teens and young adults, but it can develop at any age.
· Type 2 diabetes occurs when your cells don’t respond normally to insulin, which is known as insulin resistance. Out of the 34 million Americans with diabetes, approximately 90%-95% of them have Type 2 diabetes.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Diabetes symptoms vary depending on how much your blood sugar is elevated. People with Type 2 diabetes may not initially experience any symptoms. However, those with Type 1 diabetes may experience severe symptoms that can develop in a short amount of time.
Signs and symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes may include:
How can you address diabetes?
In order to properly manage diabetes, it’s important to do the following:
Where can I learn more?
If you are experiencing symptoms of diabetes, contact your doctor. For more information on diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association website at www.diabetes.org.