What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that happens when your blood sugar (glucose) is too high. It develops when your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or any at all, or when your body isn’t responding to the effects of insulin properly. 

What are the types of diabetes?

There are several types of diabetes. The most common forms include:

• Type 2 diabetes: With this type, your body doesn’t make enough insulin and/or your body’s cells don’t respond normally to the insulin (insulin resistance). This is the most common type of diabetes. It mainly affects adults, but children can have it as well.
• Prediabetes: This type is the stage before Type 2 diabetes. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be officially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
• Type 1 diabetes: This type is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in your pancreas for unknown reasons. Up to 10% of people who have diabetes have Type 1. It’s usually diagnosed in children and young adults, but it can develop at any age.
• Gestational diabetes: This type develops in some people during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy. However, if you have gestational diabetes, you’re at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• Increased thirst (polydipsia) and dry mouth.
• Frequent urination.
• Fatigue.
• Blurred vision.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Slow-healing sores or cuts.
• Frequent skin and/or vaginal yeast infections.

What are the complications of diabetes?

• Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS): This complication mainly affects people with Type 2 diabetes. It happens when your blood sugar levels are very high (over 600 milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL) for a long period, leading to severe dehydration and confusion. It requires immediate medical treatment.
• Diabetes-related ketoacidosis (DKA): This complication mainly affects people with Type 1 diabetes or undiagnosed T1D. It happens when your body doesn’t have enough insulin. If your body doesn’t have insulin, it can’t use glucose for energy, so it breaks down fat instead. This process eventually releases substances called ketones, which turn your blood acidic. This causes labored breathing, vomiting and loss of consciousness. DKA requires immediate medical treatment.
• Severe low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Hypoglycemia happens when your blood sugar level drops below the range that’s healthy for you. Severe hypoglycemia is very low blood sugar. It mainly affects people with diabetes who use insulin. Signs include blurred or double vision, clumsiness, disorientation and seizures. It requires treatment with emergency glucagon and/or medical intervention.

Long-term diabetes complications

• Coronary artery disease
• Heart attack
• Stroke.
• Atherosclerosis

Other diabetes complications include:

• Nerve damage (neuropathy), which can cause numbness, tingling and/or pain.
• Nephropathy, which can lead to kidney failure or the need for dialysis or transplant.
• Retinopathy, which can lead to blindness.
• Diabetes-related foot conditions.
• Skin infections.
• Amputations.
• Sexual dysfunction due to nerve and blood vessel damage, such as erectile dysfunction or vaginal dryness.
• Gastroparesis.
• Hearing loss.
• Oral health issues, such as gum (periodontal) disease.

Prevention

How can I prevent diabetes?

You can’t prevent autoimmune and genetic forms of diabetes. But there are some steps you can take to lower your risk for developing prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes, including:

• Eat a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet.
• Get physically active. Aim for 30 minutes a day at least five days a week.
• Work to achieve a weight that’s healthy for you.
• Manage your stress.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Get adequate sleep (typically 7 to 9 hours) and seek treatment for sleep disorders.
• Quit smoking.
• Take medications as directed by your healthcare provider to manage existing risk factors for heart disease.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

If you haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes, you should see a healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of diabetes, such as increased thirst and frequent urination.