Diabetes Fact Sheet

The full name for the group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar is diabetes mellitus. When you have diabetes, you have too much sugar in your blood, which can lead to serious health problems.

Description

• Diabetes is a disease in which your body doesn't properly use or produce insulin, a necessary hormone for the absorption of sugar, or glucose, in the blood.

Types

• There are three main types of diabetes--type 1, type 2 and gestational. Types 1 and 2 are chronic conditions that require medication or daily insulin shots, while gestational is a temporary condition affecting only pregnant women, usually resolving itself after childbirth.

Causes

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells. These cells are generated by the pancreas, an elongated gland that's deep in the abdomen. Type 2 diabetes results when your cells become resistant to insulin. Gestational diabetes is also a resistance to insulin, caused by the hormones the placenta produces.

Symptoms

• Symptoms for all three types of diabetes are very similar, with the most common being increased thirst and urination, extreme hunger and slow-healing sores.

Diagnosis

• To diagnose diabetes, a blood sample is taken in order to measure the level of glucose present. This can be done after a normal eating cycle or after a fast. A higher blood glucose level than normal may indicate diabetes and is usually confirmed using another test performed on a different day.

Treatments

• People with type 1 diabetes produce no insulin, so they require daily insulin shots to regulate their blood glucose levels. Those with type 2 diabetes produce some insulin but require medication in order to help their bodies use it effectively. Gestational diabetes is usually controlled via nutrition and exercise, although some women require insulin or medications as well.