Understanding Diabetes in Simple Terms

Being an R.N., I hear numerous myths concerning diabetes. More often than most, people with diabetes do not have an adequate understanding of their illness.

What is diabetes? In simple terms, diabetes is a disease in which the body isn't utilizing the glucose or sugar we eat. This causes the sugar to build up in the blood.

Usually, when we eat, our food turns into sugar or glucose. Our pancreas produces insulin. Insulin acts as a boat to carry the glucose into our cells, which gives us energy.A person with diabetes doesn't make enough insulin or can't use it's own insulin sufficiently. This causes the glucose to remain outside the cells. Over time, this is life threatening. It can cause heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and poor circulation of the lower extremities which leads to amputations.

There are 3 types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes.

Type 1, also known as insulin dependent diabetes, account for 5-10% of diabetics. Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile onset diabetes because, in the past, mostly children had this type. Now a days, adults have been diagnosed with this type also.

Type 2, adult onset diabetes, or known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, account for 90-95% of all diabetes. people with this type of diabetes are usually older age, but not always.

Gestational Diabetes is diagnosed for pregnant women only and disappears after pregnancy.

That's it! Diabetes in a nutshell. Anyone who thinks they might have diabetes must see a doctor immediately.

Common signs and symptoms of diabetes are:

Feeling tired, no energy

Increased hunger and thirst

Weight loss

Frequent urination

Sores that are slow to heal

Vision problems