More than 37 million US adults have diabetes, and 1 in 5 don’t know.
Did you know that diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States? Approximately 5-10% of people with diabetes have type 1, and 90-95% of people with diabetes have type 2. The disease is also the No. 1 cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness. Alarmingly, in the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. When your body digests food, much of it is turned into sugar. As your sugar levels rise, your pancreas releases insulin, which acts like a key to allow blood sugar to be converted to energy within your body’s cells.
With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems like heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.
Are there Different Types of Diabetes?
Yes. In fact, there are generally three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant).
- When a person has type 1 diabetes, they cannot make enough insulin. If you have type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to take insulin every day to survive.
- Symptoms include frequent urination, being very thirsty, losing weight without trying, being hungrier than usual, and having blurry vision. Type 1 diabetes symptoms develop quickly, over a few days to weeks. At first, symptoms may be overlooked or mistaken for another illness, like the flu.
- Usually, the body of a person with type 2 diabetes doesn’t use insulin well and can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels. When you have type 2 diabetes, sugar stays in the blood rather than entering the body’s cells to be used for energy, resulting in high blood sugar. It happens when your body can’t use insulin the right way. Type 2 diabetes develops over time and is preventable. If you are at risk, it is vital to get your blood sugar tested by your healthcare provider.
- Symptoms include feeling very thirsty or very hungry. You may also urinate more often than usual, have blurry vision, or lose weight without trying. Preventing type 2 diabetes requires eating healthy, staying active, and managing weight.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes but usually goes away after their baby is born. However, it can increase your risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. Your baby is more likely to have obesity as a child or teen and develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Living with Diabetes
First and foremost, contact MHEDS to receive the help you need through our Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) services. The bottom line: living with diabetes requires daily self-management. The four pillars of self-management are making healthy food choices, staying physically active, monitoring blood sugar, and taking medications as prescribed. Self-management of the disease will help you feel better and reduce your chance of developing complications like heart disease, eye disorders, kidney disease, nerve damage, and more. In addition, getting all of your scheduled health checks and blood tests are important. Our providers will help you learn the ins and outs of managing your disease daily. We are standing by, ready to assist. So, call MHEDS to make an appointment today!
Diabetes and COVID-19
People with diabetes are more likely to have serious complications from COVID-19. In general, people with diabetes are more likely to have more severe symptoms and complications when infected with any virus. If you have diabetes, we recommend that you stay up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 vaccine. If you have not received your most recent shot, schedule your next COVID-19 vaccine today!
Want to get a headstart on your health? We deliver a Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support program accredited by the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists to meet the needs of people affected by the disease. Call MHEDS at 814-453-6229 (Peach Street) or 814-616-7730 (John F. Kennedy Center).
Tools
Use the American Diabetes Association’s Risk Test for Diabetes.
Other Articles
American Diabetes Association: Get Up to Speed on Diabetes
CDC: DSMES for People With Diabetes
Our health information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist the public in learning more about their health. MHEDS’ providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein.
MHEDS’ DSMES program is partially funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, July 7). What is diabetes? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html
Free tools and resources to help patients manage their diabetes. ADCES. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.diabeteseducator.org/living-with-diabetes
Getting up to speed on diabetes. Get Up to Speed on Diabetes | ADA. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://diabetes.org/diabetes/newly-diagnosed/get-up-to-speed-diabetes-knowledge
Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes – Community Health Net. (2022, July 13). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.community-healthnet.com/patient-education/healthwise/?DOCHWID=hw34303#acn4903
Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes – Community Health Net. (2022, July 13). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.community-healthnet.com/patient-education/healthwise/?DOCHWID=hw135189#acn4857
