What is diabetes? 

Glucose is a form of sugar that is in most of the foods we eat. Sometimes people call glucose in the blood “blood sugar.” All people need some glucose in the blood because it gives food and energy to other parts of the body. Some people develop a problem keeping their blood glucose at the right level. When the blood glucose level is too high on a regular basis, doctors call this “diabetes.”

Diabetes is a common condition that can range from mild to severe. People with diabetes have high levels of glucose in their blood. Diabetes can be hard to recognize because there are often no clear signs or symptoms in the early stages.

Who gets diabetes?

Your chances of developing diabetes depend on a combination of your genes and lifestyle. You are more likely to develop diabetes if you are: 

  • overweight or obese
  • over the age of 45
  • have a family history of diabetes
  • are African American, Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
  • have high blood pressure
  • have low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides
  • are not physically active
  • have a history of heart disease or stroke
  • have depression

What are some complications of high blood sugar?

High glucose levels can cause damage to parts of the body like the heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels

Heart Disease

  • Poor control of diabetes increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
  • People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a youger age than people withought diabetes.

Kidney disease

  • People with diabetes are more likely to have kidney damage. High blood glucose can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys, making it harder for them to function normally.
  • Many people with diabetes also develop high blood pressure because of the damage to the kidneys.   

Diabetic neuropathy

  • Over time, the high levels of sugar in the blood can damage the nerves.
  • Symptoms can range from pain and numbness in your feet to problems with functions of your internal organs such as your heart and bladder.

 Vision problems

  • Diabetes can cause vision problems such as cataracts, glaucoma and blindness.
  • It is important to have your eyes checked regularly.

What are some complications of low blood sugar?

  • One uncommon, but serious complication of diabetes that you may experience is called a hypoglycemic event, or low blood sugar.
  • Hypoglycemia can be particularly harmful if the brain does not get the energy it needs to function. Hypoglycemia may happen you take too much medicine including insulin or certain diabetes pills. It may also happen if you don’t eat as much food as usual after taking yourdiabetes medication, or if you exercise more than you normally would.
  • Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
    • Sweating or trembling
    • Feeling hungry
    • Feeling tired