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What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. Diabetes is the body's inability to use
blood sugar for energy. The main types include type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In
type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough
insulin or the cells ignore the insulin.
Gestational pregnancy -- usually at around 28 weeks or later -- many women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
A diagnosis of gestational diabetes doesn't mean that you had diabetes before you conceived, or that you will have
diabetes after giving birth. But it's important to follow your doctor's advice regarding blood glucose (blood sugar) levels
while you're planning your pregnancy, so you and your baby both remain healthy.
Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5-
10% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even
young children with Type 1 diabetes can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy, happy lives.
Symptoms
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the
early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of
diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
• Frequent urination
• Unusual thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Extreme fatigue and Irritability
Type 2 Diabetes*
• Any of the type 1 symptoms
• Frequent infections
• Blurred vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
• Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
*Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms
Causes
The cause of diabetes depends on the type. Type 2 diabetes is due primarily to lifestyle factors and genetics.
Type 1 diabetes is also partly inherited and then triggered by certain infections. There is a genetic element in individual
susceptibility to some of these triggers which has been traced to the genetic "self" identifiers relied upon by the
immune system. However, even in those who have inherited the susceptibility, Type 1 diabetes seems to require an
environmental trigger.
Western Medicine Treatment
Depending on what type of diabetes you have, blood sugar monitoring, insulin and oral medications may play a role in
your treatment. A pancreas transplant may be an option for select people.
An important part of managing all types of diabetes includes maintaining a healthy weight through a healthy diet and
exercise plan:
• Healthy eating: Contrary to popular perception, there's no diabetes diet. You won't be restricted to boring, bland
foods. Instead, you'll need plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains — foods that are high in nutrition and low
in fat and calories — and fewer animal products and sweets. In fact, it's the best eating plan for the entire family.
Even sugary foods are OK once in a while, as long as they're included in your meal plan.
• Yet understanding what and how much to eat can be a challenge. A registered dietitian can help you create a meal
plan that fits your health goals, food preferences and lifestyle. Once you've covered the basics, remember the
importance of consistency. To keep your blood sugar on an even keel, try to eat the same amount of food with the
same proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at the same time every day.
• Physical activity: Everyone needs regular aerobic exercise, and people who have diabetes are no exception.
Exercise lowers your blood sugar level by transporting sugar to your cells, where it's used for energy. Exercise
also increases your sensitivity to insulin, which means your body needs less insulin to transport sugar to your
cells. Get your doctor's OK to exercise. Then choose activities you enjoy, such as walking, swimming or biking.
What's most important is making physical activity part of your daily routine. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of
aerobic exercise most days of the week. If you haven't been active for a while, start slowly and build up gradually.
• Treatment for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes primarily involves monitoring of your blood sugar along with insulin,
other diabetes medications or both.
• Monitoring your blood sugar: Depending on your treatment plan, you may check and record your blood sugar level
several times a week to several times a day. Careful monitoring is the only way to make sure that your blood sugar
level remains within your target range.
Even if you eat on a rigid schedule, the amount of sugar in your blood can change unpredictably. With help from your
diabetes treatment team, you'll learn how your blood sugar level changes in response to things like food, physical
activity, medications, illness, alcohol, stress and — for women — fluctuations in hormone levels.
In addition to daily blood sugar monitoring, your doctor may recommend regular A1C testing to measure your average
blood sugar level for the past two to three months. Compared with repeated daily blood sugar tests, A1C testing better
indicates how well your diabetes treatment plan is working overall. An elevated A1C level may signal the need for a
change in your insulin regimen or meal plan. Your target A1C goal may vary depending on your age and various other
factors. However, for most people, the American Diabetes Association recommends an A1C of below 7 percent. Ask
your doctor what your A1C target is.
Insulin: Anyone who has Type 1 diabetes needs insulin therapy to survive. Some people with Type 2 diabetes may
need insulin, as well. Because stomach enzymes interfere with insulin taken by mouth, oral insulin isn't an option for
lowering blood sugar. Often, insulin is injected using a fine needle and syringe.
An insulin pump also may be an option. The pump is a device about the size of a cell phone worn on the outside of your
body. A tube connects the reservoir of insulin to a catheter that's inserted under the skin of your abdomen. The pump is
programmed to dispense specific amounts of insulin automatically. It can be adjusted to deliver more or less insulin
depending on meals, activity level and blood sugar level.
Many types of insulin are available, including rapid-acting insulin, long-acting insulin and intermediate options.
Depending on your needs, your doctor may prescribe a mixture of insulin types to use throughout the day and night.
Oral or other medications: Sometimes other oral or injected medications are prescribed as well. Some diabetes
medications stimulate your pancreas to produce and release more insulin. Others inhibit the production and release of
glucose from your liver, which means you need less insulin to transport sugar into your cells. Still others block the
action of stomach enzymes that break down carbohydrates or make your tissues more sensitive to insulin. Your doctor
might prescribe low-dose aspirin therapy to help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Transplantation: In some people who have Type 1 diabetes, a pancreas transplant may be an option. Other types of
transplants are being studied as well. With a successful pancreas transplant, you would no longer need insulin
therapy. But pancreas transplants aren't always successful — and the procedure poses serious risks. You'd need a
lifetime of potent immune-suppressing drugs to prevent organ rejection. These drugs can have serious side effects,
including a high risk of infection, organ injury and cancer. Because the side effects can be more dangerous than the
diabetes, pancreas transplants are usually reserved for people whose diabetes can't be controlled or those who have
serious complications.
Treatment for gestational diabetes
Controlling your blood sugar level is essential to keeping your baby healthy and avoiding complications during delivery.
In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and exercising, your treatment plan may include monitoring your blood sugar
and, in some cases, using insulin.
Your health care provider will also monitor your blood sugar level during labor. If your blood sugar rises, your baby may
release high levels of insulin — which can lead to low blood sugar right after birth.
Treatment for prediabetes
If you have prediabetes, healthy lifestyle choices can help you bring your blood sugar level back to normal or at least
keep it from rising toward the levels seen in Type 2 diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and healthy
eating can help.
Sometimes medications — such as the oral diabetes drugs metformin (Glucophage) and acarbose (Precose) — also
are an option if you're at high risk of diabetes. This includes if your prediabetes is worsening or you have cardiovascular
disease, fatty liver disease or polycystic ovary syndrome.
In other cases, medications to control cholesterol — statins, in particular — and high blood pressure medications are
needed to achieve desired goals. Your doctor might prescribe low-dose aspirin therapy to help prevent cardiovascular
disease. Healthy lifestyle choices remain key, however.
Alternative Medicine
There is a significant progress using alternative medicine in this area.
If you want a referral of an expert alternative medicine practitioner in your
local area, please use our free referral service by calling our toll-free at
1-888-919-1188, or e-mail us to wei@weilab.com, or click the button
at the right to have us contact you.
Information gathered from the American Diabetes Association, Wikipedia.org and the Mayo Clinic.
Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. Diabetes is the body's inability to use
blood sugar for energy. The main types include type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In
type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough
insulin or the cells ignore the insulin.
Gestational pregnancy -- usually at around 28 weeks or later -- many women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
A diagnosis of gestational diabetes doesn't mean that you had diabetes before you conceived, or that you will have
diabetes after giving birth. But it's important to follow your doctor's advice regarding blood glucose (blood sugar) levels
while you're planning your pregnancy, so you and your baby both remain healthy.
Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5-
10% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even
young children with Type 1 diabetes can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy, happy lives.
Symptoms
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the
early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of
diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
• Frequent urination
• Unusual thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Extreme fatigue and Irritability
Type 2 Diabetes*
• Any of the type 1 symptoms
• Frequent infections
• Blurred vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
• Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
*Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms
Causes
The cause of diabetes depends on the type. Type 2 diabetes is due primarily to lifestyle factors and genetics.
Type 1 diabetes is also partly inherited and then triggered by certain infections. There is a genetic element in individual
susceptibility to some of these triggers which has been traced to the genetic "self" identifiers relied upon by the
immune system. However, even in those who have inherited the susceptibility, Type 1 diabetes seems to require an
environmental trigger.
Western Medicine Treatment
Depending on what type of diabetes you have, blood sugar monitoring, insulin and oral medications may play a role in
your treatment. A pancreas transplant may be an option for select people.
An important part of managing all types of diabetes includes maintaining a healthy weight through a healthy diet and
exercise plan:
• Healthy eating: Contrary to popular perception, there's no diabetes diet. You won't be restricted to boring, bland
foods. Instead, you'll need plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains — foods that are high in nutrition and low
in fat and calories — and fewer animal products and sweets. In fact, it's the best eating plan for the entire family.
Even sugary foods are OK once in a while, as long as they're included in your meal plan.
• Yet understanding what and how much to eat can be a challenge. A registered dietitian can help you create a meal
plan that fits your health goals, food preferences and lifestyle. Once you've covered the basics, remember the
importance of consistency. To keep your blood sugar on an even keel, try to eat the same amount of food with the
same proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at the same time every day.
• Physical activity: Everyone needs regular aerobic exercise, and people who have diabetes are no exception.
Exercise lowers your blood sugar level by transporting sugar to your cells, where it's used for energy. Exercise
also increases your sensitivity to insulin, which means your body needs less insulin to transport sugar to your
cells. Get your doctor's OK to exercise. Then choose activities you enjoy, such as walking, swimming or biking.
What's most important is making physical activity part of your daily routine. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of
aerobic exercise most days of the week. If you haven't been active for a while, start slowly and build up gradually.
• Treatment for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes primarily involves monitoring of your blood sugar along with insulin,
other diabetes medications or both.
• Monitoring your blood sugar: Depending on your treatment plan, you may check and record your blood sugar level
several times a week to several times a day. Careful monitoring is the only way to make sure that your blood sugar
level remains within your target range.
Even if you eat on a rigid schedule, the amount of sugar in your blood can change unpredictably. With help from your
diabetes treatment team, you'll learn how your blood sugar level changes in response to things like food, physical
activity, medications, illness, alcohol, stress and — for women — fluctuations in hormone levels.
In addition to daily blood sugar monitoring, your doctor may recommend regular A1C testing to measure your average
blood sugar level for the past two to three months. Compared with repeated daily blood sugar tests, A1C testing better
indicates how well your diabetes treatment plan is working overall. An elevated A1C level may signal the need for a
change in your insulin regimen or meal plan. Your target A1C goal may vary depending on your age and various other
factors. However, for most people, the American Diabetes Association recommends an A1C of below 7 percent. Ask
your doctor what your A1C target is.
Insulin: Anyone who has Type 1 diabetes needs insulin therapy to survive. Some people with Type 2 diabetes may
need insulin, as well. Because stomach enzymes interfere with insulin taken by mouth, oral insulin isn't an option for
lowering blood sugar. Often, insulin is injected using a fine needle and syringe.
An insulin pump also may be an option. The pump is a device about the size of a cell phone worn on the outside of your
body. A tube connects the reservoir of insulin to a catheter that's inserted under the skin of your abdomen. The pump is
programmed to dispense specific amounts of insulin automatically. It can be adjusted to deliver more or less insulin
depending on meals, activity level and blood sugar level.
Many types of insulin are available, including rapid-acting insulin, long-acting insulin and intermediate options.
Depending on your needs, your doctor may prescribe a mixture of insulin types to use throughout the day and night.
Oral or other medications: Sometimes other oral or injected medications are prescribed as well. Some diabetes
medications stimulate your pancreas to produce and release more insulin. Others inhibit the production and release of
glucose from your liver, which means you need less insulin to transport sugar into your cells. Still others block the
action of stomach enzymes that break down carbohydrates or make your tissues more sensitive to insulin. Your doctor
might prescribe low-dose aspirin therapy to help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Transplantation: In some people who have Type 1 diabetes, a pancreas transplant may be an option. Other types of
transplants are being studied as well. With a successful pancreas transplant, you would no longer need insulin
therapy. But pancreas transplants aren't always successful — and the procedure poses serious risks. You'd need a
lifetime of potent immune-suppressing drugs to prevent organ rejection. These drugs can have serious side effects,
including a high risk of infection, organ injury and cancer. Because the side effects can be more dangerous than the
diabetes, pancreas transplants are usually reserved for people whose diabetes can't be controlled or those who have
serious complications.
Treatment for gestational diabetes
Controlling your blood sugar level is essential to keeping your baby healthy and avoiding complications during delivery.
In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and exercising, your treatment plan may include monitoring your blood sugar
and, in some cases, using insulin.
Your health care provider will also monitor your blood sugar level during labor. If your blood sugar rises, your baby may
release high levels of insulin — which can lead to low blood sugar right after birth.
Treatment for prediabetes
If you have prediabetes, healthy lifestyle choices can help you bring your blood sugar level back to normal or at least
keep it from rising toward the levels seen in Type 2 diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and healthy
eating can help.
Sometimes medications — such as the oral diabetes drugs metformin (Glucophage) and acarbose (Precose) — also
are an option if you're at high risk of diabetes. This includes if your prediabetes is worsening or you have cardiovascular
disease, fatty liver disease or polycystic ovary syndrome.
In other cases, medications to control cholesterol — statins, in particular — and high blood pressure medications are
needed to achieve desired goals. Your doctor might prescribe low-dose aspirin therapy to help prevent cardiovascular
disease. Healthy lifestyle choices remain key, however.
Alternative Medicine
There is a significant progress using alternative medicine in this area.
If you want a referral of an expert alternative medicine practitioner in your
local area, please use our free referral service by calling our toll-free at
1-888-919-1188, or e-mail us to wei@weilab.com, or click the button
at the right to have us contact you.
Information gathered from the American Diabetes Association, Wikipedia.org and the Mayo Clinic.
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