Diabetes-IntroductionIntroductionDiabetesisadiseasethataffectsmillionsofAmericanseveryyear.Yourhealthcareprovidermayhaveinformedyouthatyouhavediabetes.Althoughthereisnoknowncurefordiabetes,thereareseveraltreatmentswhichcancontrolthisdisease.Thesuccessofanydiabetestreatmentdependslargelyonyou,thepatient.Thisreferencesummarywillhelpyoudevelopabetterunderstandingofdiabetesandhowtocontrolthisdisease.WhatisDiabetesThebodyismadeofmillionsofcellsthatneedenergytofunction.Thefoodyoueatisturnedintosugar,calledglucose.Glucoseiscarriedtothecellsthroughthebloodstream.Itisoneofmanysubstancesneededbythecellstomakeenergy.Forglucosetoenterthecells,twoconditionsmustbepresent.First,thecellsshouldhaveenough“doors,”calledreceptors.Second,ahormonecalledinsulinisneededto“unlockthereceptors.”Oncethesetwoconditionsaremet,glucoseentersthecellandisusedbythecelltomakeenergy.Withoutenergy,allcellsdie.Insulinisahormone,whichismanufacturedinthepancreas.Insulinlevelsinthebloodvarywiththeamountofglucosepresentintheblood.Diabetesisadiseasethatmakesitdifficultforthecellsofthebodytogettheglucosetheyneedtomakeenergy.PancreasLiverStomachGallBladderTherearetwowaysinwhichdiabetescanmakeitdifficultforthecellsofthebodytoreceiveadequateamountsofglucose.First,insulinmaynotbemadebythepancreas.Thisdocumentisforinformationalpurposesandisnotintendedtobeasubstitutefortheadviceofadoctororhealthcareprofessionalorarecommendationforanyparticulartreatmentplan.Likeanyprintedmaterial,itmaybecomeoutofdateovertime.Itisimportantthatyourelyontheadviceofadoctororahealthcareprofessionalforyourspecificcondition.©1995-2013,ThePatientEducationInstitute,Inc.“unlockthereceptors,”glucosecannotenterthecells.Therefore,glucoselevelsincreaseintheblood.ThisisknownasType1diabetes.Type2diabetesoccurswheninsulinispresentinenoughquantities,butthereisadecreaseinthenumberofreceptorsonthecellstoallowglucosetoenter.Eventhoughinsulinispresent,itcannotbeusedeffectively,asituationcalled“InsulinResistance”andresultsinhighlevelsofglucoseintheblood.Type2diabetesismorecommonthanType1.Theexactcausesofdiabetesareunknown.However,ittendstoruninfamilies.Diabetesisnotcontagious.SignsandSymptomsOfDiabetesDiabetesisdetectedwhenyourhealthcareproviderfindsahighlevelofsugarinyourbloodorurine.Themostreliabletestresultsareobtainedwhenthesugarlevelinthebloodischeckedbeforeanyfoodorliquidisingested.Thisisknownasafastingbloodsugar.Arangeforanormalfastingbloodsugarisbetween60and99mg/dL.Levelsbetween100and125mg/dLareconsideredpre-diabeticlevels.Commonsignsandsymptomsofdiabetesinclude:•Excessivethirst.•Frequenturination.•ExcessiveHunger.•Weightloss.•Fatigue.•Changesinvision.•Slow-healingcutsorinfections.•Persistentitchingoftheskin.TreatmentOptionsDiabetescannotbecured.Itcan,however,becontrolledbykeepingthelevelofglucoseinthebloodwithinitsnormalrange.Thetreatmentandmanagementofdiabetesvariesfrompatienttopatient.Yourhealthcareprovideranddiabeticcareteamwilldecidewhatformoftreatmentisbestforyou.Thesuccessofyourtreatmentdependslargelyonyou.WhenyoulearnANDpracticehowtocontrolyourglucoselevel,youwillenjoyahealthierlife.Thisdocumentisforinformationalpurposesandisnotintendedtobeasubstitutefortheadviceofadoctororhealthcareprofessionalorarecommendationforanyparticulartreatmentplan.Likeanyprintedmaterial,itmaybecomeoutofdateovertime.Itisimportantthatyourelyontheadviceofadoctororahealthcareprofessionalforyourspecificcondition.©1995-2013,ThePatientEducationInstitute,Inc.:Thisdocumentisforinformationalpurposesandisnotintendedtobeasubstitutefortheadviceofadoctororhealthcareprofessionalorarecommendationforanyparticulartreatmentplan.Likeanyprintedmaterial,itmaybecomeoutofdateovertime.Itisimportantthatyourelyontheadviceofadoctororahealthcareprofessionalforyourspecificcondition.©1995-2013,ThePatientEducationInstitute,Inc.:1.Controllingyourweight2.Keepingthelevelofbloodglucoseatnormallevels,and3.Reducingfatinthebody.Ahealthydietmayincludechangingwhatyoueat,howmuchyoueat,andhowoftenyoueat.However,youmaybesurprisedbyhowmanyhealthyandtastyfoodoptionsyouhave.Exercisehelpspeoplewithdiabetesinmanyways.Itlowersglucoselevels,helpsweight-loss,andmaintainsahealthyheartandcirculation.Inaddition,exercisinghelpsrelievestressandstrengthensmuscles.Yourhealthcareteamwilldiscussyourexerciseplanwithyou.Alwayscheckwithyourhealthcareteambeforestartinganewexerciseprogram.Bloodglucosetestingisimportanttofindoutifyourbloodglucoseleveliswhereitshouldbe.Ifyourbloodglucoseistoolowortoohigh,youmayneedachangeinyourdiabetesmedication,diet,orexerciseplan.Ifachangeisneeded,yourhealthcareproviderordiabeticcareteamwillgi