Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people. It also affects nearly every part of the body. That is why you will want a wide variety of people on your team including doctors, pharmacists, nutritionists, family and friends to help you manage your diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Some of the food you eat is broken down into glucose, a kind of sugar. Glucose travels in your blood throughout your body to all your cells. Your pancreas makes insulin which helps glucose move from your blood into your cells. Glucose from food makes your blood glucose level go up while insulin lowers your glucose levels by helping glucose move from your bloodstream into your cells. If you suffer from diabetes, your body does not make any insulin, enough insulin or your insulin does not work properly.

The most common types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children or young adults. In this type of diabetes, the pancreas does not work right and the cells that produce insulin are damaged or destroyed so the body makes little or no insulin. Type 1 diabetic treatment generally includes taking insulin shots or using an insulin pump, making wise food choices, exercising regularly and controlling cholesterol and blood pressure.

In Type 2 diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin or the insulin does not work right. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is usually adult-onset or non insulin-dependent diabetes. This type of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition where body’s cells do not use insulin properly. Initially the pancreas keeps up with this condition by producing more insulin. Over time the body loses its ability to produce enough insulin in response to meals. One becomes more prone to developing this type of diabetes if they are overweight and inactive. Treatment for Type 2 diabetes includes taking diabetes medications, following a meal plan, exercise, and controlling cholesterol and blood pressure.

What Causes Diabetes?

One possible cause is that people with diabetes may be missing a certain gene that protects against diabetes. Certain risk factors may increase your chance of getting diabetes. People should ask their doctor if they need to be tested for diabetes if they:

• Are ages 45 and older
  
• Are overweight
  
• Have high blood pressure
  
• Have high levels of blood fats and low HDL (good cholesterol)
  
• Have a family history of diabetes
  
• Are African/American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Asian American, or American Indian
  
• Have had diabetes when pregnant or gave birth to a large baby (over 9 pounds)
  
• Are inactive
  
  

What Can I Do About My Risk?

Exercising regularly, reducing fat and calorie intake, and losing weight can all help reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels also help you stay healthy.

Your Diabetes Treatment Plan

If you’ve been diagnosed as diabetic, your health care team will work with you to develop a tailored treatment plan. Typically, your plan will include meal planning which plays an important role in managing your diabetes. Your team will help determine how many calories or grams of carbohydrate, fat and protein to eat daily.

Physical activity is important every day. Exercise can be split into bursts of activity. You can get physical activity while you clean, shop, garden or other household activities. Stress may also cause blood sugar to rise so it’s important to relax every day.

Your treatment plan will also provide instructions on how and when to check your blood glucose. You will have a personal goal or target range for blood glucose levels. If you take insulin, your treatment plan will cover the types, dosages and timing of doses. If you take diabetes pills, the plan will outline types, dosages and timing as well. Your treatment plan should also include a schedule for regular health check-ups by your various health care providers.