Diabetes is a serious chronic condition where blood sugar levels, also called blood glucose, are too high. People with diabetes must follow a schedule for blood measuring, insulin injection (or pump infusion), and healthy meals to maintain good diabetes control.
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, which helps glucose from food get into our cells to be used for energy. Usually, the pancreas maintains the balance between food intake and insulin production. However, for someone with diabetes their bodies either don’t make enough—or any—insulin, or don’t use insulin well, which results in the glucose staying in the blood and not reaching the cells. Therefore, causing high blood glucose levels.
Having too much glucose in your blood, over time, can cause diabetes related health complications like nerve damage and heart disease. As a result, someone with diabetes need to maintain good blood glucose levels by taking insulin injections (or pump infusion), staying active and eating a healthy diet to help them regulate their blood glucose. Although diabetes currently has no cure, steps can be taken to manage diabetes and stay healthy.
What are the different types of diabetes?
Type 1
Type 2
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body either does not make enough insulin to meet the body’s needs, or the insulin produced does not function properly. This is known as “insulin resistance”. Type 2 is often linked to lifestyle choices, being inactive or having a family history of Type 2.
The following risk factors increase the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes:
- Increase in age
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity