Living with Diabetes: The Basics

Your body changes most of the food you eat into glucose (a form of sugar). Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter all the cells of your body and be used as energy.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when a person’s body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin properly. When you have diabetes, the sugar builds up in your blood instead of moving into the cells. Too much sugar in the blood can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and damage to the nerves and kidneys.

There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce any insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Nearly 95% of people who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes can be a dangerous and life-threatening disease if you don’t control your blood sugar level. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage your eyes, blood vessels, nerves and kidneys. Here are some of the problems (also called complications) diabetes can cause:

Blindness and vision loss (called diabetic retinopathy): Diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in the retina, which can cause vision loss and even blindness. For more information, read our Diabetes: Eye Care handout.

Heart disease: People who have diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease and damage to the blood vessels in the heart. This increases their risk of heart attack and stroke. For more information, read our Diabetes and Heart Disease handout.

Nerve and blood vessel damage (called diabetic neuropathy): Damage to blood vessels in the legs can limit the supply of blood to the nerves in the legs and feet. This can cause burning, tingling and numbness in the affected areas (usually starting in the toes and spreading to the whole foot). It also makes it difficult to feel injuries (such as foot sores). Damage to the blood vessels can also put you at risk for infections and sores that don’t heal. In severe cases, parts of the foot or lower leg may have to be amputated (removed). For more information, read our Diabetic Neuropathy handout.

Kidney disease (called diabetic nephropathy): Diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys, which then can’t filter out the body’s waste. In some people, the kidneys stop working completely. These people require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis is a treatment that eliminates wastes in the blood. For more information, please read our Diabetic Nephropathy handout.

The good news is that diabetic complications can often be prevented by taking care of yourself, following your doctor’s orders and controlling your blood sugar level. For more information on how to prevent these problems, please read our Preventing Diabetic Complications handout.

The goal of diabetes treatment is to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible--not too high (called hyperglycemia) or too low (called hypoglycemia).

The first step is to have a healthy diet and to exercise. This may mean you’ll need to change your current diet and exercise habits. You’ll also have to watch your weight (or even lose weight if you are overweight) to keep your blood sugar level as normal as possible. Your doctor will talk to you about the kinds of food you should eat and how much exercise you’ll need every week.

Regularly checking your blood sugar is a key to helping you control it. Blood sugar checks can help you see how food, exercise and insulin or medicine affects your level. Checking your blood sugar also allows you and your doctor to change your treatment plan if needed.

Sometimes diet and exercise alone can’t keep your blood sugar at a normal level. Then your doctor will talk to you about other treatments, such as medicine or insulin.

Follow your doctor's advice and the instructions that come with the glucose meter. In general, you will follow the steps below. Different meters work differently, so be sure to check with your doctor for advice specifically for you.

Check your blood sugar as often as your doctor suggests. You'll probably need to do it more often at first. You'll also check it more often when you feel sick or stressed, when you're changing your medicine or if you're pregnant. People taking insulin may need to check their levels more often.

Keep track of your blood sugar levels by writing them down. You can also keep track of what you've eaten and how active you've been during the day. This will help you see how food and exercise affect your blood sugar level.

Talk with your doctor about what is a healthy blood sugar level range for you. A level of 80 to 120 before meals is often a good goal, but not everyone who has diabetes can get their blood sugar level this low.

Be sure to talk with your doctor about what to do if your blood sugar level isn't within the range that's best for you.

Anytime you eat, you put sugar in your blood. Eating the right way can help control your blood sugar level.

It's important for you to learn how what you eat affects your blood sugar level, how you feel and your overall health. As a general rule, just following a healthy diet is wise. Your doctor may suggest you meet with a dietitian who can teach you how to make healthier food choices. See the box below for some tips on eating right.

You should stop smoking as soon as possible. It's probably okay to drink some alcohol with a meal, but you should only have 1 serving each day. A serving is 4 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. If you drink on an empty stomach, you risk causing a drop in your blood sugar. Talk with your doctor about how much alcohol is safe for you to consume with your diabetes.

Yes. Exercising is especially good for people who have diabetes because it can help the body better use insulin, resulting in a lower blood sugar level.

Exercise is also good for your heart, your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure and your weight--all factors that can affect your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Exercise also seems to make people feel better about themselves and feel less anxious.

Talk with your doctor about starting an exercise program. He or she can help you make a plan.

The glycosylated hemoglobin test is a blood test your doctor may do. One common type of glycosylated hemoglobin is hemoglobin A1C. The hemoglobin A1C level shows how well your blood sugar has been controlled during the previous 2 to 3 months. It helps your doctor see how effective your current method of treatment is and decide if any changes are needed.