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Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood sugar, or glucose, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Your body produces insulin which helps bring glucose into your cells to give you energy. When you have diabetes your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it well which makes your blood sugar rise. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious problems.

The symptoms of diabetes may appear suddenly or slowly over time. Some people do not notice symptoms at all.

Symptoms of diabetes may include:

  • Being very thirsty
  • Peeing often (up at night)
  • Feeling very hungry or tired
  • Losing weight without trying
  • Having sores that heal slowly
  • Having blurry vision

The goal of treatment is to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range by meeting your NEEDS.

N utrition: Healthy foods with few high sugar and processed foods

E xercise:  Move more

E ducation:  Learn how to care for yourself, see a diabetes educator, a dietitian and attend a class

D rugs:  Pills or insulin injection

S elf-management:  Check your blood sugar and talk with your care team

You can live well with diabetes with daily self-care. It is also important to talk with your diabetes care team to solve problems, lower the risk for complications and help you cope with all the changes you need to make.

Successful self-management will help you feel better and can lower your chance of developing complications like heart disease.