Diabetes Basics

You’ve probably heard that diabetes has to do with sugar. But that’s just part of the story.

So, what exactly is diabetes?

Simple answer: diabetes is a condition where the body doesn’t make or use insulin properly causing blood sugar (glucose) to build up in our blood.

What should the body be doing? It all starts with food.

A lot of the foods we eat (especially carbs) become blood sugar (glucose) in our bodies. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Our bodies need some sugar.

The blood sugar is carried by our blood to our cells.

Our cells use the blood sugar to make energy that fuels our brain, heart, lungs, and muscles.

Our cells get the blood sugar because of a hormone called insulin.

What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone, made by our pancreas, that makes it possible for our blood sugar to get into our cells fuel our muscles and organs.

So, when you have diabetes what happens with the insulin?

When our bodies don’t make or don’t use insulin properly, our blood sugar can't get into our cells to make energy. Then our cells can’t fuel our muscles and organs correctly.

With Type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t make insulin. So, the blood sugar has no way to get into our cells. It’s like there’s no key to open the door to the cells.

With Type 2, the body has trouble using the insulin and insulin isn’t getting blood sugar into our cells.

With both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, because insulin isn’t getting blood sugar into our cells, the blood sugar is stuck in our blood stream and just keeps building up.

Is blood sugar like actual sugar?

Blood sugar isn’t the same as granulated or brown sugars we eat. Blood sugar is called glucose and is made from the food we eat.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?

There are symptoms of diabetes but the symptoms can be mild or may seem like something else. It is really important to get regular check-ups and blood work to make sure you don't have prediabetes or diabetes. Some common symptoms of diabetes are:

Urinating often
Feeling very thirsty
Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating
Extreme fatigue
Blurry vision
Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet

How do you know you have diabetes?

At your regular physical or annual visit, your provider will order labs to screen you for diabetes.

You may get a fasting blood glucose test or an A1c blood test.

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, A1c tests will be is a blood test that tells you and your provider your average blood sugar for the past 2 to 3 months.

This is an important test because it shows how well your blood sugar is being managed.

This test is also a good way to find out if you are prediabetic.