What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose 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.

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems. Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy.

Sometimes people call diabetes “a touch of sugar” or “borderline diabetes.” These terms suggest that someone doesn’t really have diabetes or has a less serious case, but every case of diabetes is serious.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in the world and occurs when the body fails to process glucose correctly. Many people have diabetes mellitus, but remain undiagnosed. Types of diabetes include diabetes type 1, a progressive autoimmune disease usually diagnosed in children and young adults, whereas type 2 diabetes can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices and usually starts in adulthood. Women can also develop signs of diabetes while they are pregnant, called gestational diabetes. It is possible to live a healthy life by identifying the symptoms of diabetes early, receiving proper medical care and making healthy lifestyle changes. Learn more about diabetes here. 

There are three main types of diabetes, type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes that all involve the body's improper use of glucose.

Sources:

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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