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Diabetes is a disease in which your
body cannot properly store and use fuel for energy. The fuel that your body needs is sugar
(glucose). To use sugar, your body needs insulin. Insulin is produced by a gland in your
body called the pancreas.
With diabetes, either your body does not produce enough insulin, or it is unable to use the insulin it does produce. In either case, your body does not get enough of the fuel it needs to work. The unused sugar remains in your blood or is passed in your urine. As a result, you may have been feeling very tired or thirsty or going to the bathroom a lot. Your vision may be blurred. These are all symptoms of diabetes. Typically, the higher your blood sugar is, the worse the symptoms will be. Or, you may be feeling quite well. Your diagnosis may have been the result of a routine blood test. The test may show a high blood sugar level, but you have not felt any symptoms of diabetes. Whatever the case, diabetes is a serious disease, which requires treatment and management. A blood sugar level before eating should be 4 to 6 mmol/L*. You have been told your blood sugar is high and you need treatment. To lower your blood sugar, your doctor may advise you to change your eating habits and exercise regularly if you are not doing so already. Some people may be started on diabetes medication. Living with diabetes means living a healthy lifestyle, which is good for the whole family. You can lead an active and full life with diabetes. Understanding diabetes and how it affects your body is the first step to make that happen. *mmol/L is a unit of measure. It tells you the amount of sugar m your blood.
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What
is diabetes
