Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood sugar is too high. Blood sugar is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose (sugar) from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough or any insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.

Type 1 diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.

Over time, high blood glucose leads to problems such as

heart disease
stroke
kidney disease
eye problems
dental disease
nerve damage
foot problems

It is important to have regular appointments to monitor your sugar level and to adjust medication to keep levels in control. Diabetes that is in control will help keep adverse medical problems caused by diabetes to a minimum. 

A good web site to get more Diabetes information is www.texasdiabetescouncil.org 

Author

Dr. William Thomas Board Certified Family Doctor at the Wilshire Family Medicine Clinic